Finland Is Inviting Singles to a Giant Dinner Date in 2027. Here’s How to Apply
Finland is inviting single people from around the world to take part in an unusual dating experience that combines a four-day holiday, Finnish food and the possibility of meeting someone special. Called the Finnish Dinner Date, the initiative will bring together international singles and local Finnish participants for two group dining experiences in February 2027, with flights, accommodation, meals and activities covered by the organisers.
The campaign is being organised by Visit Finland, the country’s national tourism promotion organisation, as part of its efforts to introduce international visitors to Finnish food culture. Rather than arranging conventional one-to-one blind dates, the initiative will select 16 international participants and divide them between two hosted experiences, one in Helsinki and the other in Tampere, in Finland’s Lakeland region.
Each group will consist of eight selected international participants, who will also be joined by two local Finnish singles. The gatherings will take place between February 9 and 19, 2027, although the exact dates and arrangements for each group will be communicated to those selected.
There is also a surprise built into the experience. Applicants will not know whether they are heading to Helsinki or Tampere until they have been selected and confirmed their participation. Visit Finland describes this as the first blind match of the trip.
The dinner itself is intended to be more than a social occasion. Participants will experience one of Finland’s official tasting menus, developed to introduce the country’s regional ingredients, culinary traditions and food culture to an international audience. Finnish cuisine often draws on ingredients closely connected to the natural environment, including wild fish, game, berries, mushrooms and locally sourced seasonal produce.
The Helsinki menu and the Lakeland experience will each offer a different perspective on Finnish food. The initiative forms part of Visit Finland’s wider “Have Some Finnish” campaign, which aims to give greater international attention to a national cuisine that remains relatively unfamiliar to many travellers.
For the tourism organisation, food is also a way of introducing visitors to Finnish life beyond the country’s familiar attractions of forests, lakes, saunas and winter landscapes. Sharing a meal provides an opportunity to explore local traditions while meeting people who live in the country.
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The dating concept has another distinctly Finnish connection. It takes inspiration from the increasingly recognised “Sinkkukori” phenomenon, which translates roughly as “single basket”. In some Finnish supermarkets, pink shopping baskets have been introduced as a playful way for single shoppers to signal that they are open to conversation and potentially meeting someone.
The idea attracted attention beyond Finland as videos and social media discussions introduced the concept to international audiences. The Finnish Dinner Date takes that same idea of making it easier for strangers to connect and moves it from the supermarket to the dinner table.
However, the initiative is not simply a competition to find a romantic partner. Visit Finland is presenting it as an opportunity to discover Finnish cuisine, experience the country and meet people from different backgrounds. Romance may be part of the experience, but it is not the only possible outcome.
For those interested in applying, the process involves two steps. Applicants must first record a short video in English answering one question: “What would you serve on a dinner date, and why?” The video should be published on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube using the hashtag #FinnishDinnerDate and tagging Visit Finland’s official account on the relevant platform.
The required tags are @ourfinland on Instagram, @visitfinland.com on TikTok and @VisitFinland on YouTube. Applicants using Instagram or TikTok must have public profiles so the organisers can view their submissions. Those who would rather not publish their video publicly can upload it to YouTube as an unlisted video and share its link through the application form.
After posting the video, applicants must complete the application form at FinnishDinnerDate.com and include a link to their submission. Completing only the social media challenge is not enough; the online application form must also be submitted.
Applications close on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 11:59 a.m. Finnish time (EET). Visit Finland plans to announce the selected participants on December 1, 2026, through its Instagram and TikTok channels. A total of 16 international singles will be chosen, with eight assigned to each dinner experience.
The selected participants will receive a hosted four-day trip that includes travel, accommodation, activities and meals. The experience will combine a programme of food-related activities with the final group dinner, giving visitors an opportunity to explore Finnish culinary traditions beyond the restaurant table.
For international travellers who have been curious about Finland but have never considered visiting for its food, the campaign offers a different reason to make the journey. The country is better known internationally for its natural landscapes, winter experiences and sauna culture than for its cuisine. Visit Finland is using the dinner dates to challenge that perception while giving participants an unusual opportunity to meet local people.
There is, of course, no guarantee that anyone will leave Finland in a relationship. But for 16 selected singles, February 2027 could bring a free trip, an introduction to Finnish food and the possibility of making new connections around a dinner table.
Interested applicants can find the official application details and submit their entries through Visit Finland’s Finnish Dinner Date campaign page before the November 10 deadline.
