Finland to Offer Free Trip With Group Dinner for 16 Single People

Visit Finland, the country's tourism organisation, has launched an initiative called “Finnish Dinner Date”. Sixteen single people from different countries will be able to take a free four-day trip to the Finnish cities of Helsinki or Tampere in February 2027. The highlight will be a shared dinner with people they have not met before. The organisers will cover the selected participants' costs, but applicants must complete specific tasks.

How the trip will work

Participants will be divided into two groups of eight. Which city each person goes to will remain a surprise until their participation is confirmed. The programme includes various food-related activities, with the main event being a dinner at a location that has not yet been disclosed. Single locals will also join the travellers.

The dinners will feature tasting menus introducing Finnish culinary traditions. In Helsinki, the menu will be created by Adele Kinnunen of the restaurant Café Savoy, and in Tampere by Henri Tikkanen of the restaurant Gösta. Tikkanen has represented Finland at the international culinary competition Bocuse d’Or.

An idea borrowed from a local trend

The initiative is based on a trend that became popular in Finland called Sinkkukori, roughly translated as “singles' basket”. Some supermarket shoppers choose pink shopping baskets to playfully signal that they are single and open to meeting new people. Campaign representatives say participants might fall in love with a person, or with Finland itself.

How to apply

Applicants must complete two tasks. First, they record a short video in English answering the question of what dish they would serve at dinner with a person they would like to get to know, and why. The video must be posted on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube with the hashtag #FinnishDinnerDate, tagging Visit Finland. Second, they fill in an application form on FinnishDinnerDate.com, including a link to the video.

Those who do not want the video to be public can upload it to YouTube with restricted access. Instagram and TikTok profiles must be public. Applications close on 10 November 2026, and the chosen participants will be announced on 1 December on Visit Finland's social media accounts. The trips are scheduled for 9 to 19 February 2027.