Finnish people are very keen on sports - it has been estimated that one in four Finns belongs to a sports club or association, and many more take part regularly in sporting activities.

The most popular sports and leisure activities in Finland include walking, cycling, jogging, hiking, swimming and skiing. Among children and youths, football is very popular. Winter sports such as skiing, ice skating and ice hockey also attract many participants. In summer, sailing, fishing and canoeing are popular pursuits on the many lakes and waterways.

Hiking and camping are allowed in most areas of Finland, where everyone has the right of access to nature under the Everyman's Right law.

The use of saunas is a national pastime in Finland, and many homes have their own private sauna.

Helsinki is a lively entertainment and culinary centre, with a vast range of excellent restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs. Here and in Finland's other cities and main towns there are also many theatres, concert halls and cinemas, as well as galleries and museums. A new casino has also recently opened in Helsinki.

The most important annual festival in Finland in Midsummer's Day, when people leave the towns and cities for their summer cottages and celebrate the longest of the year with much merrymaking and alcohol consumption. There are also many other festivals in summer, the most popular of which include a major arts festival in Helsinki in August, the Pori Jazz Festival in July, and the Savonlinna Opera Festival, held at medieval Olavinnlinna Castel.