Virtual Helsinki Platform Hosts Performance by Finnish Artist ALMA as City Pushes the Technological and Creative Boundaries of its Digital Twin

• Finnish singer songwriter ALMA will perform on Friday 12 June to celebrate Helsinki Day with a full performance of her number one debut album `Have U Seen Her?'
• The show transforms the city of Helsinki into a "dreamscape" where glimpses of local landmarks such as Amos Rex museum are seen throughout the performance. 
• The event marks the next phase of Virtual Helsinki's cultural offering, following on from the success of a May Day concert which attracted over 100,000 participants and over 1 million viewers.
• As COVID-19 crisis continues, the event demonstrates the opportunity for the platform to support the city's flourishing creative, design and start-up community. 
• In development for two years, Virtual Helsinki, the Nordic capital's digital twin is already in use in art, business and sustainable travel initiatives and is a long-term partnership with local VR studio Zoan. 

HELSINKI, June 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Helsinki will celebrate its birthday with a programme of online cultural events curated in collaboration with its citizens, taking place in the city's digital twin - Virtual Helsinki - and culminating in a performance from Helsinki-born artist ALMA. The Finnish singer songwriter has generated over 150 million combined Spotify streams since the release of her acclaimed debut EP and is known worldwide for collaborations with Miley Cyrus and Tove Lo. ALMA will perform music from her debut album Have U Seen Her?.

Designed to be accessible as possible, audiences can tune in to the live performance with a smartphone or computer, choose an avatar and interact with ALMA in her enchanted "dreamscape" world inspired by growing up in Helsinki but created entirely from her imagination. The event is a collaboration between ALMA, creative director Taito Kawata, The City of Helsinki and Zoan.

Mayor of Helsinki, Jan Vapaavuori, said:

"Helsinki Day is one of our biggest urban festivals and traditionally a communal celebration for the birthday of the capital city. This year we are proud to host ALMA in Virtual Helsinki. Having her historic concert as part of the festival programming makes this year even more special."

The Helsinki Day festivities are part of the city's ongoing efforts to celebrate the versatile creativity, freedom and innovation found in the city. The performance will take place in ALMA's dreamlike virtual world and will feature cultural landmarks powered by Virtual Helsinki including the Amos Rex museum, which is currently showing Generation 2020, an exhibition presenting the works of over 80 young Finnish artists.