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Finland is offering 16 international singles an opportunity to enjoy a four-day holiday featuring blind dates, sightseeing and culinary experiences, with the tourism board covering their travel and accommodation costs.
The initiative, known as Finnish Dinner Date, is organised by Visit Finland as part of efforts to promote the country’s food culture and attract international visitors.
The selected participants will travel to either Helsinki, the Finnish capital, or Tampere between February 9 and 19, 2027. Eight winners will be assigned to each city.
During the trip, participants will enjoy outdoor activities, sauna visits, sightseeing and group dinners with local Finnish singles.
The main attraction will be a special dinner where each group of eight international visitors will be joined by two Finnish singles. The meals will feature tasting menus prepared by leading Finnish chefs.
In Helsinki, the menu will be prepared by Adele Kinnunen, head chef of Café Savoy and a former participant on Finland’s MasterChef Professionals.
In Tampere, the menu will be developed by Henry Tikkanen, the restaurateur behind Gösta, who has represented Finland at the international Bocuse d’Or culinary competition.
Visit Finland will pay for the winners’ return flights, private-room accommodation, meals and scheduled activities throughout the four-day experience. However, participants will not be allowed to choose their preferred destination, as the organisers will assign them to either city.
The programme does not guarantee romantic relationships or provide a formal matchmaking service. Instead, it aims to connect international visitors with local singles through food and shared cultural activities.
How to apply for the free trip
The opportunity is open to single people aged 18 and above from around the world, except Finnish citizens and residents.
Interested applicants must complete the following steps:
1. Record a video in English
Applicants are required to make a video answering the question: “What would you serve on a dinner date, and why?”
2. Share the video on social media
The video must be posted on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube with the hashtag #FinnishDinnerDate. Applicants must also tag Visit Finland’s official account on their chosen platform.
The accounts are @ourfinland on Instagram, @visitfinland.com on TikTok and @VisitFinland on YouTube.
Instagram and TikTok entries must be publicly accessible, while YouTube submissions can be uploaded as unlisted.
3. Complete the online application form
After posting the video, applicants must fill out the official application form and include a link to their submission.
4. Submit an original entry
Applicants are expected to feature themselves in their videos and use original footage and audio. Entries will be assessed based on creativity, authenticity and how personally candidates respond to the question.
Visit Finland also hopes to select participants from different countries, age groups and backgrounds.
Application deadline and selection
Applications close on November 10, 2026, at 11:59 a.m. Finnish time.
The 16 successful applicants will be contacted individually, while the public announcement of winners is scheduled for December 1, 2026, on Visit Finland’s Instagram and TikTok accounts.
Selected participants will have 48 hours after the announcement to confirm their places. Those who fail to respond may lose their opportunity to other applicants.
Why Finland is organising the programme
The campaign was inspired by a Finnish supermarket trend called sinkkukori, meaning single basket. Under the trend, shoppers use pink baskets at selected stores to indicate that they are single and open to meeting people.
The idea gained attention on social media, prompting Visit Finland to turn it into an international tourism campaign.
Heli Jimenez, senior director of international marketing at Business Finland, said the initiative would introduce visitors to the country’s food culture.
“Food brings Finns together, and now we are inviting travellers to join us in a truly one-of-a-kind way,” she said in an October 20 announcement.
