The opening of the new Nekala Cultural Center will be celebrated from 11 to 15 March 2026, with a program suitable for all ages and free of charge. The opening week will feature exhibitions, music performances, rhythm games, circus, tabata training, a knitting club, an LED show, tattoo design, yoga, and various workshops. You can find the opening week program at the link below.
The cultural center consists of many different spaces where activities open to everyone and targeted at specific audiences can be organized, such as music lessons, painting courses, work demonstrations, and workshops. The school's old sport hall has been converted into an event hall where regular events and private functions can be held.
– The Nekala Cultural Center is a significant new opening, even on a national level. The building serves as a cultural center open to everyone, while also providing a large group of art professionals with workspaces, which have been in short supply in Tampere. Livelaboratorio Tampere Oy, which was selected as the operator, has done a great job in getting the building up and running, culminating in the opening week, says Marianna Lehtinen, Head of Cultural Services.
The Nekala Cultural Center consists of Nekalab, operated by Livelaboratorio Tampere Oy, and its restaurant, the The Adult Education Centre of the Tampere Region premises, and the Nekala Library.
The Adult Education Centre of the Tampere Region will move its workshop in Onkiniemi to the cultural center, which will enable independent activities for local residents, artists, and potential course activities. The Nekala Library, which has been operating in temporary premises, will open its doors on 9 March 2026, and self-service opening hours will be introduced alongside the library's regular opening hours.
– The Nekala Cultural Center is a wonderful new opening, and we believe that the library as part of it will lower the threshold for all residents and visitors to get to know and participate in the activities organized there, tells Niina Salmenkangas, Library Services Director.
Livelaboratorio Tampere Oy is also responsible for managing and renting the premises and organizing events and private functions. The aim of the cultural center is to build a multidisciplinary and accessible cultural space that serves both creators and visitors.
– This long-term project has already attracted a lot of interest. In addition, there are many people working in creative fields living in Nekala, and taking local residents and businesses into account has been an important part of the collaboration, says Annamaija Saarela, CEO of Livelaboratorio Tampere Oy.
The Nekala Cultural Center operates in the premises of the former Nekala School, which was selected by the Tampere City Council as the location for new cultural facilities in 2018. The decision was based on a cultural space survey commissioned by the city, and the school building has undergone extensive renovations focused on improving indoor air quality.
Most of the cultural center's premises are for the private use of artists and associations. Nekala rents a total of 44 workspaces to artists, and the workspaces are varied to suit different working purposes. Several applications were received for the workspaces, and in the end, over a hundred artists were selected as tenants for the new cultural center.
– The workspaces take into account the artists’ own wishes, for example, regarding cabling and soundproof doors. We want to offer professionals a peaceful working environment, a community, and a functional framework for their work, says Saarela.
Many other areas have also been taken into account in the planning of the cultural center's activities. For example, the restaurant's opening hours and menus have been planned with the wishes of the cultural center's long-term tenants in mind, as the daily routines of people working in the arts can vary greatly.
– Artists often have lunch in the afternoon, so our idea is to offer them a varied menu that changes weekly, from morning to evening, concludes Saarela.
