Nightclub Kaivohuone

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Clubs in Finland : Night Club Kaivohuone (Helsinki)
Interview : Tiina Ropponen (manager of Kaivohuone)

How would you present or describe your club?
May-August:
Nightclub is open wed-sat 21-04.

Wednesdays: Pool Party - we have a pool inside and people go swimming :) and we have a professional life guard there too. Young people who love to party and have a great fun and good time.

Thursdays: Nova Club - famous Finnish bands and artists, very popular among Finnish people as they do know the bands :)

Fridays - actually we are still working on Friday nights program - last year

we gave fridays to an outside club organizer but this year we won't - I can let you know about the fridays as soon as we make the decicion :) Anyway a cool party with young people, maybe some bands...

Saturdays- traditional Kaivohuone-evening. All our VIP guests party here on saturdays and the age limit is 24. On other nights it is 20 years. Saturday is perhaps a bit more "adult" evening, great fun and dancing.

We have a wonderful, most beautiful terrace in Helsinki! It has seats for 350 people and it is open everyday. We serve lunch mon-fri 12-15 and after that à la carte (simple, summer food) until 21. Wed-sat the terrace is open until 2am. Sun-tue until 21.

September-April
Terrace is closed.
The restaurant is in use for private parties and company parties.

When was established your club and who had this idea?
Kaivohuone is a very old - this year 165 years. It has been a restaurant many many many years... The building is owned by the city of Helsinki and the we have rented this since 1993. ... If you want to know more about the history, I can send you a brochure... :)

How was choosen the name of the club?
It has been Kaivohuone since 1838!

For the persons who don't know well Helsinki, could you explain where it is located?
By the big park Kaivopuisto - it is on every map :)
Near Olympia harbour, you can get easily here by tram 3B or 3T and get of in Tehtaankatu, the stop next to the Catholic Church (Saint Henrik). Walk down Iso Puistotie, a street surrounded by big beautiful trees :), and there's Kaivohuone. The only building on Iso Puistotie.

Is the location an important thing?
It is the best for us in the summer, but in the winter it's a bit too far from the center and that's why we are in use for private parties during the winter time.

Do you have a web site?
www.kaivohuone.fi
www.aktivist.fi/kaivohuone

What kind of music do you play?
Simply disco music :)
The hits of today.. House, RNB...
Upstairs we have a Finnish Music Bar.

Is it difficult to find a good Dj? Why?
No. We have a club promoter and he has good contacts to everywhere :)

How would you describe your regular customer?
Over 20 years, likes to party and have fun, dresses cool and fashion :)

Do you have an age limit? Why?
Wed-fri 20years, saturdays 24 years.
Because we don't want to have under 20 year olds and saturdays is 24 because then we want to have a bit older customers and that's also a wish from our VIP guests.

What are the specialties of your club (these little things we don't find anywhere else)?
Pool inside.
Big terrace.
Finnish Pop Bar upstairs - unforgetable athmosphere.
Nice and happy staff!

Regarding the decoration, did you choose / follow a certain theme or a certain style?
We have saved some of the old style (as this is a historical building).

Is the decoration of a club important?
...

Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2003