Finland's official tourism board, Visit Finland, is inviting 16 unattached individuals from around the world on an all-expenses-paid trip next February, with the chance to find romance. Between February 9 and 19, two groups of eight will travel to either Helsinki, the seaside capital, or Tampere, known as the 'sauna capital of the world', where they will enjoy Finnish cuisine, outdoor adventures, sightseeing tours, and a blind dinner date with two local singles.
Inspired by a Viral Social Media Trend
The singles trip was inspired by a viral social media trend that took the country by storm earlier this year. In July, Prisma, one of Finland's largest supermarket chains, began putting out baby pink shopping baskets specifically for single people to use. 'Sinkkukori', Finnish for 'single basket', was Prisma's way of encouraging single shoppers to strike up conversations, safe in the knowledge that they wouldn't be approaching someone who was already taken.
Some residents embraced the idea, calling it 'the perfect meet cute' and a 'genius' idea. Others, however, were less convinced. @Nadja shared on TikTok: 'I don't think I'd use it even if I was looking for a relationship.' @bethscosylife had a slightly different fear: 'I'd pick that based just because it was cute and wonder why people were talking to me…'
What the Trip Includes
The 16 singles who are picked won't know which destination they're heading to until their place is confirmed by the organisers. Helsinki, located next to the Baltic Sea, offers views such as the sunset at Helsinki Cathedral, a neoclassical building with a dome 80 meters above sea level, and is known for its café culture. In Tampere, visitors can enjoy the city's 70 public saunas, which are particularly popular in February, followed by ice swimming.
For the final blind date dinner in Helsinki, the menu will be headed up by Adele Kinnunen, head chef at Café Savoy, who has appeared on MasterChef Professionals. In Tampere, the dinner will be curated by Henry Tikkanen of restaurant Gösta, who has represented Finland at the Bocuse d'Or, known as the 'Olympics of gastronomy'.
How to Apply
Applications close at 9.59am GMT on Tuesday November 10, 2026. Applicants must film a video answering the question: 'what would you serve on a dinner date, and why?' and post it on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube with the hashtag #FinnishDinnerDate and tag Visit Finland. They must then fill in the application form at FinnishDinnerDate.com with a link to their video. The winners will be announced on December 1 on Visit Finland's Instagram and TikTok.
