10.-12.07.2026 Juuka, Finland
Dear stone sculptors, families, friends and all those who are interested in stone carving and sculpture.
You are warmly welcome to Juuka, Nunnanlahti, Finland to the Juuka International Stone Carving Festival in 2026. The festival starts on 10th of July and ends on 12th of July.
The theme for this year will be Roots.
The organizer of the competition is Ellin Taitajat ry, a non-profit cultural association with years of experience organizing artistic carving competitions.
Juuka is the only municipality in Finland where stone carving competitions are regularly organized and the association has an official trademark for organizing them. The rules and the event follow European guidelines.
The registration for the competition will be active as of January 2026 via our website https://juuankivenveisto.fi.
We are happy to inform you that in the year 2027 we will be hosting the first official European Stone Festival in Finland, and we are interested in international cooperation with carvers and organizers in this field. We are looking forward to your timely reaction!
Juuka is located in the very beautiful region of North Karelia next to the big lake Pielinen and close to the famous National Park of Koli.
The municipality is known for its soapstone, which is a soft stone, well suited for carving. There are two soapstone factories/mines in Juuka: NunnaUuni Oy and Tulikivi Oyi, which also have supported our competitions. Tulikivi Oyj is the 2026 sponsor.
Halifax 2025
Last May, the representatives of our association visited the European Stone Festival 2025 in Halifax (UK) and we welcomed the competitors there to Juuka Stone Carving Festival 2026. The Finnish Championship and international competition will be in Juuka for the sixth time now.
Halifax 2025
If you are interested in coming to Juuka, Finland, to carve soapstone next summer, please contact us. We would be happy to give you further information and tips for a cost-effective journey.
From Helsinki it is easy to travel by train or airplane to Joensuu or Kuopio and from Joensuu it is a one hour bus trip to Juuka and from Kuopio 1,5 hours. The association will also support you with local transportation and provide for accommodation and subsistence.
Welcome to the Juuka Stone Carving Festival!
Juuka 16.12.2025
Ellin Taitajat ry
More information
Tuula Ikonen-Graafmans (FI, EN) , puh. +358 40 0674062
Jan Graafmans (EN, DE, FR, NL) , puh. +358 50 3699733