Exhibitions

Rally Finland – 75 Years of Gravel, Heroes, and a Travelling Circus

Aika 13.06.2026
08.11.2026

When it began in 1951, the Rally of the Thousand Lakes was a modest event – defined above all by its famously long route. Over the decades, “Jyskälä” (the event’s Finnish nickname) has grown into a World Rally Championship highlight: an international carnival of speed and Finland’s largest sporting event by audience numbers.

This exhibition takes museum visitors out to the gravel roads, pine forests, and makeshift field parking that define rallying in Central Finland. It also brings to life the camaraderie of the volunteers who make the event possible, and explores how the rally has evolved – sparking excitement, debate, and passion in the hundreds of thousands who experience it each year.

At the museum, rallying can be viewed differently than in the midst of competition itself. While experiencing rallying on site is immediate, immersive and lived in the moment, the exhibition brings together a 75-year story through photographs, videos and objects. At the same time, rallying is moved from its familiar setting into the museum space, where it can be seen from new perspectives and as part of a broader cultural and local story.

Through rallying, there has always been a desire to showcase Jyväskylä. It is no coincidence that prizes have been awarded in front of City Hall or at the foot of the Harju steps — in those images, the city is visible too. In a way, the power of images was understood here long before social media

Mikko Lundell, Exhibition Scriptwriter

Rallying as a Central Finnish phenomenon

The exhibition looks at the Jyväskylä rally above all as a phenomenon that has been exceptionally visible in Central Finland for decades. The event has left its mark on the cityscape, on event culture, and on how the region has wished to present itself to the world.

At different times, rallying has embedded itself into Jyväskylä in familiar landscapes, around recognisable landmarks, and in new venues as the city has grown. On display are photographs in which the Jyväskylä of past decades meets rally cars in ways that make visible both the city’s transformation and the continuity of the event. Through the rally, Jyväskylä has been presented to domestic and international audiences alike, and the places chosen as stages for the event over the decades also tell a story about the city itself. Rallying has been part of Jyväskylä’s identity as an event city, and has played its part in shaping the kinds of places and settings in which events have been built.

The exhibition also highlights that rallying has always involved strong emotions and differing viewpoints. For some, it is not simply a celebration, and at different times the event has also drawn criticism. The exhibition does not seek to create opposition, but rather to deepen understanding of what rallying means to different people.

The idea is to present the many sides of rallying and increase understanding in both directions. It has been here for so long that it is important to pause and look at what this phenomenon really is as a whole — why some love it, while others approach it with reservation

Mikko Lundell, Exhibition Scriptwriter

In Central Finland, rallying is an exceptional combination of locality, nature, tourism and internationality. During rally week, the city takes on an atmosphere that many would otherwise travel abroad to experience. At the same time, the event spreads into forests, roadside gathering places and village communities, where for decades it has held both practical and communal significance. In the exhibition built in the Museum of Central Finland’s Art Hall, rallying emerges as part of Central Finnish everyday life, event tradition and regional identity.

***

The exhibition is produced by the Museum of Central Finland, in collaboration with the Mobilia Automobile and Road Museum and AKK Sports Oy, organiser of today’s WRC event, Secto Rally Finland. The exhibition also draws on the expertise of rally communities and hobbyists from all over Finland.

Exhibition inquiries:
Senior Curator Ilja Koivistoilja.koivisto@jyvaskyla.fi+358 50 311 8879