Significant government cuts cause changes to Music Finland's operations
The current Finnish government has made significant cuts to the arts and culture sectors this year. The cuts that the culture sector was hit with amount to over two million euros. For Music Finland, a total funding cutdown of 35 percent means restructuring operations and changes to the organizational structure.
Music Finland's public funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture fell from 550,000 euros to 425,000 euros. This means a cut of almost 23 percent targeting the organization's general operations. The general grant was already cut by six percent last year, so overall, compared to 2023, the funding has decreased by more than 27 percent.
Due to the cut already made by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the total impact of the funding cuts on Music Finland's general operations in 2025 is approximately 35 percent. For Music Finland, this means restructuring operations and changes to the organizational structure. Personnel reductions are also inevitable.
“In its government programme, the Finnish government has promised to invest in the internationalisation and growth of the creative industries, but these actual political decisions are in blatant contradiction with this promise. These cuts will have a significant impact on the export and growth of the Finnish music industry now and in the future,” says Mikko Manninen, Executive Director of Music Finland.
The scope of Music Finland's project funding for this year is not yet known. The project grant comes mainly from the Ministry of Education and Culture and will finance the majority of Music Finland’s projects and the music export grants that are distributed to the sector. This decision will be published later this spring.
In total, this year, the Ministry of Education and Culture’s culture and arts budget will be cut by 17.4 million euros. The Cultural Policy Report included in the government programme is currently being processed in the Parliament. The Growth Deal for creative industries, which is also included in the government programme, is currently being prepared.