On Friday 30 May 2025, President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb and his spouse, Suzanne Innes-Stubb, moved to the Presidential Summer Residence Kultaranta in Naantali.
The programme in Naantali began with the opening of a sculpture exhibition in the park at Kultaranta. Entitled ‘Layers’, this year’s exhibition features works by seven contemporary sculptors who work with wood or stone. The participating artists are Mia Hamari, Timo Hannunen, Emma Jääskeläinen, Pasi Karjula, Antero Koskinen, Matti Peltokangas and Hannu Riikonen. The exhibition has been organised in cooperation with the Alfred Kordelin Foundation. The exhibition is curated by Tapani Pennanen.
In his opening remarks, President Stubb thanked the Alfred Kordelin Foundation, the artists and the curator. “We are extremely grateful to be able to enjoy art here at Kultaranta. We are also pleased that the Kultaranta park will be open to the public again this summer. It is great that so many visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the sculptures,” he said.
The exhibition, ‘Layers’, will be open from 30 May to 31 August 2025. Thematically, it ties in with the nature-inspired exhibitions of 2021 and 2022, which explored animal imagery and the organic forms of plants.
On Friday evening, the city of Naantali held a welcome reception for the presidential couple at the marina. A large crowd gathered at the President’s jetty to welcome the presidential couple to Naantali for the summer for the first time.
President Stubb and Mrs Innes-Stubb were greeted by Laura Leppänen, Mayor of Naantali, Toni Forsblom, Chair of the City Board, Jan Lindström, Vice Chair of the City Council, as well as local residents and holidaymakers. During the reception, Tilda Pölkkynen, a pupil at Taimo Elementary School, presented Mrs Innes-Stubb with a bouquet of flowers. The choir Naantalin Laulajat welcomed the presidential couple by performing the song Maailma on kaunis (The world is beautiful).
“Thank you for the warm welcome to Naantali. Suzanne and I are amazed that so many of you have come to greet us,” said the President. Before the audience had the opportunity to chat with the President and his spouse, Iina Lavonen, chair of the Naantali Youth Council, interviewed President Stubb.
Situated on Luonnonmaa Island in Naantali, Kultaranta has served as the summer residence of the President of the Republic of Finland since 1920. During the summer, the President will work mainly at Kultaranta. The most significant event of the early summer season will be the Kultaranta Talks, which will be hosted by President Stubb on 16–17 June.
After a two-year break, the Naantali Music Festival’s open-air concert will return to the park at Kultaranta. This year’s concert will take place on Friday 6 June. It will feature the Dallapé Orchestra, with Juha Hostikka as the soloist.
