TIP-Fest has become a biennale and the next edition , the 16th Turku International Puppetry Festival is held 12 to 15 November 2026.

About the festival

The Turku International Puppetry Festival, better known as TIP-Fest, was held for the first time in November 2010 as part of the Turku European Capital of Culture 2011 project. The aim of the first TIP-Fest was to bring contemporary puppet theatre to the public, which flourished thanks to new professional theaters, a very active independent scene, and the Puppet Theatre Department of the Turku University of Applied Sciences Arts Academy.

In 2019, the festival celebrated its 10th anniversary and the growth and development of professional puppet theater in Finland. The young Finnish puppet theatre scene has grown and established itself through the efforts of artists engaged in multidisciplinary collaboration. The festival’s performances have made versatile use of contemporary puppet theatre techniques, such as paper theatre, shadow theatre, hybrid and hand puppets, object and puppet manipulation, and visual theatre.

TIP-Fest became a biennale in Autumn 2024, a decision made by Aura of Puppets organisation to ensure the sustainability and bright future of the contemporary puppetry festival in Turku.

The festival team

TIP-Fest artistic director: Outi Sippola outi@auraofpuppets.com
TIP-Fest director: Taru Tuomisto taru@auraofpuppets.com
TIP-Fest producer: tuotanto@auraofpuppets.com