Vibraphone Duo – 21.1 at El Fant

📅 21 January
📍 El Fant Café
🎟️ Free entery

Welcome to a one-of-kind evening of music.

Rising vibraphonists Mikko Antila and Olli Virtanen have been playing together and inspiring each other for nearly a decade. They now reunite after their exchange studies in Brazil and Amsterdam, bringing fresh influences from opposite sides of the Atlantic.

A vibraphone duo is a rare treat, so come enjoy a warm and relaxed night of music and friendship at El Fant Café!

Vid Sketa Quartet – 17.1 at El Fant
A reunion night with long-time friends and musical colleagues. Trumpeter Vid Sketa is joined by Mikael Jakobsson on piano, Mikael Saastamoinen on double bass, and Aleksi Heinola on drums.

They have played together in many settings over the years, and this concert marks a special moment as Aleksi returns from New York for the occasion.

📅 17 January
📍 El Fant Café
💫 Free entry

Joonatan Henriksson Trio – Live at El Fant

📍 El Fant
🗓 Wednesday, January 14, free entry

Clarinetist Joonatan Henriksson joins bassist Filemon von Numers and drummer Aleksi Heinola for an exclusive one-night performance at El Fant.
Henriksson is currently studying at the Sibelius Academy and has performed with well-known Finnish and international jazz musicians, including Jaleel Shaw and Tim Hagans. Bassist Filemon von Numers is a versatile musician who has played extensively with leading jazz artists and is currently working with UMO Jazz Orchestra. Drummer Aleksi Heinola is based in New York, collaborating with international jazz musicians, and has released two albums as a bandleader.
Together, the trio performs a mixture of music from the Great American Songbook and compositions by iconic jazz musicians. The distinctive instrumentation of clarinet, bass, and drums creates a bright and open soundscape, where jazz tradition meets seamless interplay, rhythmic drive, spontaneity, and swing.

This evening at El Fant promises an intimate, engaging concert experience, with interaction and energy present from the very first note.

January 9 • 20:00 Free entry
We’re welcoming guitarist Seppo Kitachev and his quartet to El Fant Café & Bar, bringing compositions from their debut album Buurt — music shaped by new cities, new rhythms, and the glow of improvisation.

Line-up
Seppo Kitachev – guitar
Tobias Schenk – piano
Otso Huhtala – bass
TBA – drums

Join us for an evening of warm grooves in the winter night.

12 December, 20:00 — El Fant 🎄 Free Entry
Chiara Orlandi Finnish Quartet returns for a full Christmas evening, bringing both international and Finnish holiday classics into a warm jazz setting.

Chiara Orlandi is an Italian vocalist with a deep connection to Scandinavian jazz. Originally from Verona and now based in Helsinki, she performs actively while continuing her studies at Metropolia and the Sibelius Academy. Her past collaborations include UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, Imatra Big Band, and Vaasa City Orchestra, along with smaller ensembles featuring her own compositions.

For this night, the quartet features:
Chiara Orlandi – vocals
Markus Holthoer – piano
Riku Kovalainen – bass
Knut Haglund – drums

Join us for a festive night at El Fant.

Crosswinds at El Fant
Dec 6, 2025, 20:00
Entry by donation (6–13€) at the door.

We’re opening a new chapter at El Fant — Crosswinds, a series shaped by the movement of sound. It’s a space for encounters: where different practices meet, where instruments stretch into new territories, and where musicians bring their own sensibilities and traditions into the room. Each evening follows a new trajectory, a shifting current, an open way of listening.

Our first guest, @sebastian_castree , brings the voice of the Colombian cello into this space. His music moves between free improvisation, contemporary sound forms, and the pulse of Latin American traditions. Through projects like Senase, the Ruta Quartet, and his solo works, he traces the lines where memory, rhythm, and experimentation meet.

We look forward to welcoming you to the first evening of Crosswinds.

Trumpeter Vid Sketa leads this dynamic trio featuring Tuomo Purhonen on double bass and Okko Saastamoinen on drums. Their set moves between original compositions in the spirit of hard bop and inventive arrangements from the American Songbook.

Each musician brings a distinct voice rooted in the jazz tradition, and together they create a sound that feels spontaneous, balanced and deeply alive — like a three-piece puzzle falling perfectly into place.

𝙁𝙇𝙐𝙁𝙁𝙄𝙀 𝙆𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙄𝙀 is back for you in this beautiful winter!

Our second time pop-up brings you wonderful aromatic & smooth coffee, and Japanese-style fluffy & moist roll cake by two Helsinki living Japanese professionals from Nagano and Okinawa.

Maria @marisan0928 gives you a wonderful experience to taste Japanese-style fluffy and moist roll cakes with full of gentle sweetness, which are GLUTEN-FREE!
Flavor options: Plain, Hojicha, Earl Grey, or Rum Raisin.

ntro @ntro_coffee_records this time serving pour-over coffee from guest roasters in abroad, featuring mostly the origins of Central America, washed & honey processed Pacamara variety which one of the most he's crazy about all the time, also believes that is the most matches with Maria's roll cake. Some good blend coffee for espresso beverages is available on the menu.

This is gonna be our last pop-up event in 2025, come enjoy comfy fluffy coffee time with us 🫶

Saturday November 22, 14:00-18:00
at El Fant @elfant_cafebar

November 22, we’ll be open late — until 22:00 to celebrate the start of the Christmas season right in the heart of the city.

Join us for a warm and festive evening filled with traditional Christmas treats — joulutorttu, pipari, riisipuuro (yes, the one featured by Helsingin Sanomat last year 😉), and a cup of cozy glögi.

And don’t miss the Coffee & Fluffy Pop-up (14:00–18:00), featuring smooth specialty coffee and Japanese-style roll cakes from FLUFFIE KOFFIE and Ntro Coffee Records — the perfect afternoon delight before the lights switch on!

Come celebrate under the Christmas lights with us at El Fant Café & Bar.

This November, El Fant welcomes TI Boyz from Brasil — a European-based jazz group known for their unique fusion of Bossa Nova, Samba, Calypso and modern Jazz.
The duo, Italo José (Brazil) on seven-string acoustic guitar and vocals, and Terry De Coteau (Trinidad & Tobago) on tenor, alto and soprano saxophones, creates rich acoustic arrangements full of rhythmic invention and emotional warmth.

Their music revives the elegance of the 1950s and 1960s Brazilian sound while adding a contemporary touch, capturing the beauty of music in a subtle and captivating way — the kind that makes the audience dream as if in love for the first time.

Join us for a night of rhythm, melody and light.

Infant Eyes Jazz Series: Johanson / Holthoer / Kovalainen
Tuesday, November 12 at El Fant 20:00

Free Entry

Jazz vocalist Iina Johanson has studied in some of the leading jazz schools in the Nordics and is now completing her master’s degree at the Sibelius Academy. Her expressive style carries echoes of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Carmen McRae, blending soulful phrasing with effortless technique.

Together with pianist Markus Holthoer and bassist Riku Kovalainen, the trio will present their interpretations of American Songbook standards alongside beloved jazz classics — a warm, intimate evening of timeless melodies.

New York–born bassist Josh Levine joins Joe Peri (from NYC, Grammy winner with Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett) and Pyry Brandt (young Finnish rising star pianist) for an evening of modern swing and intuitive interplay. The trio moves fluidly between classic and contemporary jazz, creating warm, spontaneous energy in the intimate setting of El Fant.

Part of the El Fant’s infant eyes Jazz Series, celebrating Nordic and international jazz voices in Helsinki.

Event registration link

Paikalle voi saapua klo 16.00 alkaen jolloin on puoli tuntia aikaa tehdä tilauksia ja asettua mukavasti, luetaan yhdessä hiljaa klo 16.30-17.30 jonka jälkeen voi jäädä vielä hetkeksi juttelemaan muiden lukijoiden kanssa. Peruutathan ilmoittautumisesi ajoissa jos et pääsisikään paikalle!

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​You can arrive at the venue from 4 pm onwards, and there will be 30 minutes to order drinks and snacks before the silent reading hour. We'll read from 4.30 to 5.30 and afterwards you can stay and chat for a little while. Please cancel your registration if you can't make it!

Kissa Kissa - for the last time before summer! 🌿

On Friday, May 9th, El Fant will once again host this classic Japanese-style café pop-up, with Moko’s handmade sweets and Stout’s Nel Drip coffee. Pour-overs, sweet bites, and a slower rhythm for a May afternoon.

No reservations — just come by, sip, and stay as long as you like.

🗓 Friday, May 9th
⏰ 11:00–17:00
📍El Fant, Katariinankatu 3