View source for Seinäjoki

{{expand Finnish|date=June 2023|topic=geo}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Seinäjoki
| official_name = {{lang|fi|Seinäjoen kaupunki}}<br />{{lang|sv|Seinäjoki stad}}
| settlement_type = City
| image_skyline = Seinajoki Montage2022.png
| image_caption = 
| image_shield = Seinäjoki.vaakuna.svg
| shield_size = 120x80px
| image_map = Seinäjoki_sijainti_Suomi.svg
| map_caption = Location of Seinäjoki in Finland
|coordinates = {{coord|62|47.5|N|022|50.5|E|type:city({{Data Finland municipality|population_total|Seinäjoki}})_region:FI-03|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = {{flag|Finland}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of Finland|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[South Ostrobothnia]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Sub-regions of Finland|Sub-region]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Seinäjoki sub-region|Seinäjoki]]
| leader_title = [[City manager]]
| leader_name = Jaakko Kiiskilä
| established_title = [[Charter]]
| established_date = 1868
| established_title2 = [[Köping|Market town]]
| established_date2 = 1931
| established_title3 = [[City rights|Town]]
| established_date3 = 1960
|area_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|area_footnotes|Seinäjoki}}
|area_total_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|area_total_km2|Seinäjoki}}
|area_land_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|area_land_km2|Seinäjoki}}
|area_water_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|area_water_km2|Seinäjoki}}
| area_urban_km2 = 52.78
|area_rank = {{Data Finland municipality|area_rank|Seinäjoki}}
|population_as_of = {{Data Finland municipality|population_as_of|Seinäjoki}}
|population_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|population_footnotes|Seinäjoki}}
|population_total = {{Data Finland municipality|population_total|Seinäjoki}}
|population_density_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|population_density_km2|Seinäjoki}}
| population_urban = 46639
| population_density_urban_km2 = 883.6
|population_rank = {{Data Finland municipality|population_rank|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics_type1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics_type1|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics1_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_footnotes|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics1_title1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title1|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics1_info1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info1|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics1_title2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title2|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics1_info2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info2|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics1_title3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title3|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics1_info3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info3|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics1_title4 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title4|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics1_info4 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info4|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics_type2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics_type2|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics2_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_footnotes|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics2_title1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title1|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics2_info1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info1|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics2_title2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title2|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics2_info2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info2|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics2_title3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title3|Seinäjoki}}
|demographics2_info3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info3|Seinäjoki}}
|blank_name = {{Data Finland municipality|blank_name|Seinäjoki}}
|blank_info = {{Data Finland municipality|blank_info|Seinäjoki}}
|timezone = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
|utc_offset = +02:00
|timezone_DST = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
|utc_offset_DST = +03:00
| website = {{Url|https://www.seinajoki.fi/en/}}
}}

'''Seinäjoki''' ({{IPA|fi|ˈsei̯næˌjoki|lang|fi-Seinäjoki.ogg}}; {{lit.}} "Wall River"; {{langx|la|Wegelia}}, formerly {{langx|sv|Östermyra}}) is a [[city]] in [[Finland]] and the regional capital of [[South Ostrobothnia]]. Seinäjoki is located in the western interior of the country and along the [[Seinäjoki (river)|River Seinäjoki]]. The population of Seinäjoki is approximately {{formatnum:{{#expr:{{Data Finland municipality/population count|{{PAGENAME}}}}round -3}}}}, while the [[Seinäjoki sub-region|sub-region]] has a population of approximately {{formatnum: {{#expr: {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Seinäjoki}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Ilmajoki}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Isokyrö}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kauhava}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kurikka}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Lapua}}round -3}}}}. It is the {{ordinal|{{Data Finland municipality/population count sequence|{{PAGENAME}}}}}} most populous [[Municipalities of Finland|municipality]] in Finland, and the 13th most populous [[List of urban areas in Finland by population|urban area]] in the country.

Seinäjoki is located {{convert|80|km}} east of [[Vaasa]], {{convert|178|km}} north of [[Tampere]], {{convert|193|km}} west of [[Jyväskylä]] and {{convert|324|km}} southwest of [[Oulu]]. 

Seinäjoki originated around the [[Östermyra bruk]] iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a [[municipality]] in 1868, a [[köping|market town]] in 1931, and a [[town]] in 1960. In 2005, the municipality of [[Peräseinäjoki]] was merged into Seinäjoki, and at the start of 2009, the neighbouring municipalities of [[Nurmo]] and [[Ylistaro]] were amalgamated with Seinäjoki. The city itself is growing steadily from year to year, but the population of the surrounding municipalities is correspondingly decreasing.<ref>{{cite web|last=Niemistö|first=Elina |title=Seinäjoen väkiluku ylitti uuden tuhatluvun – muuten maakunnasta ei ole hyvää kerrottavaa |date=22 September 2022 |url= https://yle.fi/a/3-12634442 |publisher=YLE |access-date=15 March 2024|language=fi}}</ref>

The [[Seinäjoki City Hall|city hall]], city library, [[Lakeuden Risti Church]] and other public buildings were designed by Alvar Aalto. Seinäjoki was historically called ''{{lang|sv|Östermyra}}'' in [[Swedish language|Swedish]]. Today, this name, which was never official, is very seldom used even among Swedish speakers. [[Seinäjoki Airport]] is located in the neighbouring municipality of [[Ilmajoki]], {{convert|11|km|-1}} south from the Seinäjoki city centre. Seinäjoki railway station in city centre was opened in 1883 and until 1897, it carried the name Ostermyra station.

==History==
{{Unreferencedsect|date=August 2024}}
The settlement spread in the area of the present Seinäjoki during the first half of the 16th century. During the 1550s, there is said to have been three houses in Seinäjoki: the houses of Marttila, Jouppi and Uppa. The house of Jouppila, which separated from the house of Jouppi, was established during the same century. All of the houses were located on the shore of the river.

Seinäjoki belonged to the church parish of [[Ilmajoki]] like [[Kurikka]], [[Kauhajoki]], [[Jalasjärvi]] and [[Alavus]]. However, in the 18th century the roads from Seinäjoki to the Church of Ilmajoki were generally in poor condition. Therefore, the inhabitants of Seinäjoki and the neighbouring [[Nurmo]] built a new chapel together in 1725, which in 1765 led to the formation of the chapel town of Nurmo. Seinäjoki, which was called [[Alaseinäjoki]] since the [[Greater Wrath]], became a part of the chapel town. The chapel parish of [[Peräseinäjoki]] was founded in 1798, and the village of Alaseinäjoki began to be called Seinäjoki again. The very same year, the Östermyra steel mill was founded on the shore of the Seinäjoki river.

[[File:Östermyra - Johan Knutson - Finland framställdt i teckningar - 108.jpg|thumb|left|Illustration in [[Finland framstäldt i teckningar]] edited by [[Zacharias Topelius]] and published 1845-1852.]]
In the 1850s, actions were taken to separate Seinäjoki from the church parish of Nurmo. Ilmajoki wanted to connect Seinäjoki back to its own parish. In spite of strong objections from the inhabitants of Nurmo, the Senate of Finland accepted the petition from the inhabitants of Seinäjoki in 1863, to form a chapel congregation of their own. Seinäjoki got an independent local government in 1868. In 1900, Seinäjoki became an independent municipality.

Seinäjoki has grown around a few important railroad crossings. The [[Tampere]]–[[Vaasa]] railway, which passes through Seinäjoki, was inaugurated in 1883. The track, along with the [[Kokkola]] track that was opened for rail service in 1885, and the [[Kristinestad]] track which had been completed in 1913, raised Seinäjoki as an important railway crossing section in Finland. In the early 1970s, a direct railway between Tampere and Seinäjoki was opened, and the services of Seinäjoki improved further.

After the [[Winter War]] and Continuation War, some refugees from [[Jaakkima]] and [[Lumivaara]] were resettled to Seinäjoki.

==Geography==
[[File:Seinäjoki roads and villages.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A map of the Seinäjoki municipality with main roads and villages]]
The neighboring municipalities of Seinäjoki are [[Kauhava]] in the north, [[Lapua]] in the northeast, [[Kuortane]] and [[Alavus]] in the east, [[Virrat]] and [[Kihniö]] in the south, [[Ilmajoki]] and [[Kurikka]] in the west and [[Isokyrö]] in the northwest.

The proportion of water in the Seinäjoki landscape is small. Seinäjoki River flows through the city in a south-east-northwest direction and turns at the northern border of the city center, connecting with the [[Kyrönjoki River]],<ref>{{cite book | author= Reino Ala-Kulju | year= 1963 | title= Seinäjoen kirja | publisher= Seinäjoen seurakunta | language=fi}}</ref> which flows into the [[Gulf of Bothnia]] in the [[Vaasa]] area.

The most significant road connections in Seinäjoki are highways [[Finnish national road 16|16]], [[Finnish national road 18|18]] (between cities of [[Vaasa]] and [[Jyväskylä]]), [[Finnish national road 19|19]] and [[Finnish national road 67|67]].
{{Clear left}}
===Climate===
{{Weather box
| width = auto
| metric first = y 
| single line = y
| location = Seinäjoki Pelmaa (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1959–present)
| Jan mean C = -5.6
| Feb mean C = -6.2
| Mar mean C = -3.5
| Apr mean C = 3.3
| May mean C = 9.2
| Jun mean C = 14.1
| Jul mean C = 16.7
| Aug mean C = 14.9
| Sep mean C = 10.0
| Oct mean C = 4.3
| Nov mean C = -0.1
| Dec mean C = -4.3
| year mean C = 4.6
| Jan high C = -2.6
| Feb high C = -2.7
| Mar high C = 1.7
| Apr high C = 8.2
| May high C = 15.0
| Jun high C = 19.5
| Jul high C = 22.1
| Aug high C = 20.5
| Sep high C = 15.0
| Oct high C = 7.4
| Nov high C = 2.1
| Dec high C = -0.8
| year high C = 8.8
| Jan low C = -9.2
| Feb low C = -10.1
| Mar low C = -6.8
| Apr low C = -1.1
| May low C = 3.1
| Jun low C = 8.1
| Jul low C = 11.0
| Aug low C = 9.6
| Sep low C = 5.5
| Oct low C = 1.3
| Nov low C = -2.5
| Dec low C = -6.4
| year low C = 0.2
| Jan record low C = -40.5
| Feb record low C = -43.6
| Mar record low C = -31.4
| Apr record low C = -21.1
| May record low C = -7.6
| Jun record low C = -3.0
| Jul record low C = -0.8
| Aug record low C = -2.4
| Sep record low C = -7.4
| Oct record low C = -22.8
| Nov record low C = -29.4
| Dec record low C = -37.3
| year record low C = -43.6
| Jan record high C = 8.6
| Feb record high C = 9.8
| Mar record high C = 15.4
| Apr record high C = 24.5
| May record high C = 29.2
| Jun record high C = 32.6
| Jul record high C = 33.6
| Aug record high C = 31.5
| Sep record high C = 27.7
| Oct record high C = 20.6
| Nov record high C = 12.9
| Dec record high C = 9.1
| year record high C = 33.6
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 32
| Feb precipitation mm = 24
| Mar precipitation mm = 26
| Apr precipitation mm = 28
| May precipitation mm = 46
| Jun precipitation mm = 59
| Jul precipitation mm = 74
| Aug precipitation mm = 73
| Sep precipitation mm = 54
| Oct precipitation mm = 58
| Nov precipitation mm = 47
| Dec precipitation mm = 40
| year precipitation mm = 561
| Jan humidity    = 90
| Feb humidity    = 87
| Mar humidity    = 80
| Apr humidity    = 74
| May humidity    = 68
| Jun humidity    = 70
| Jul humidity    = 77
| Aug humidity    = 80
| Sep humidity    = 85
| Oct humidity    = 90
| Nov humidity    = 93
| Dec humidity    = 92
| year humidity   = 82
| Jan sun  = 30
| Feb sun  = 71
| Mar sun  = 145
| Apr sun  = 189
| May sun  = 267
| Jun sun  = 276
| Jul sun  = 268
| Aug sun  = 207
| Sep sun  = 140
| Oct sun  = 80
| Nov sun  = 31
| Dec sun  = 17
| year sun = 1718
| source 2 = Record highs and lows <ref name="FMI open data">{{cite web
| url = https://kilotavu.com/asema-taulukko.php?asema=101486
| title = FMI open data
| publisher = FMI
| access-date = 22 February 2024}}</ref>
| source = FMI normals for Finland 1991-2020<ref name="FMI">{{cite web|url=https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/336063/Tilastoja%20Suomen%20ilmatosta%20ja%20merest%c3%a4%201991-2020.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=yf |title=FMI normals 1991-2020|publisher=fmi.fi |access-date= 22 February 2024}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==

===Population===
{{Historical populations
| title= Historical population
| percentages = pagr
|state = collapsed
 |1940|5085
 |1972|38296
 |1980|42497
 |1990|47182	
 |2000|50670
 |2010|57811
 |2020|64130
 |footnote=Source: Tilastollinen päätoimisto,<ref name="stv1940">{{Cite web  | url=https://www.doria.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/69230/stv_1940.pdf | title=Suomen tilastollinen vuosikirja 1940 | date=1941 | publisher=Tilastollinen päätoimisto | access-date=5 January 2025 | language=fi }}</ref> [[Statistics Finland]] (1972-2020)<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons"/>
}}

The city of Seinäjoki has {{formatnum: {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Seinäjoki}}}} inhabitants, making it the {{ordinal|{{Data Finland municipality/population count sequence|Seinäjoki}}}} most populous municipality in Finland. The [[Seinäjoki sub-region|Seinäjoki region]] has a population of {{formatnum: {{#expr: {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Seinäjoki}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Ilmajoki}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Isokyrö}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kauhava}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kurikka}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Lapua}}}}}}.

{{Bar chart
| title   = Population size of Seinäjoki (and merged municipalities) 1990–2020<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons">{{Cite web | url=https://stat.fi/en/publication/cl8lprraorrr20dut5a0tywm5 | title=Number of foreign-language speakers grew by nearly 38,000 persons | date=31 May 2023 | publisher=Statistics Finland | access-date=12 September 2023 | language=en }}</ref>
| label_type  = Year
| data_type   = Population
| bar_width = 47
| width_units = em
| label3  = 1990
| label4  = 1995
| label5  = 2000
| label6  = 2005
| label7  = 2010
| label8  = 2015
| label9  = 2020 
| data_max = 66000
| data3  = 47182
| data4  = 49209
| data5  = 50670
| data6  = 53965
| data7  = 57811
| data8  = 61530
| data9  = 64130
}}

=== Languages ===

{{Pie chart
|thumb = left
|direction=row
|caption = Population by<br/>mother tongue (2024)<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final">{{cite web |url= https://stat.fi/en/publication/cm1jg8tr20lco07vwvoif9s6i |title= Number of foreign-language speakers exceeded 600,000 during 2024  |date= 2025-04-04 |series= Population structure |publisher= Statistics Finland |issn= 1797-5395  |access-date=2025-04-10 }}</ref>
|label1 = Finnish
|value1 = 94.4
|color1 = #002F6C
|label2 = Ukrainian
|value2 = 0.8
|color2 = #FFD800
|label3 = Russian
|value3 = 0.5
|color3 = #D52B1E
|label4 = English
|value4 = 0.4
|color4 = #FFFFFF
|label5 = Arabic
|value5 = 0.3
|color5 = #165D31
|label6 = Sinhala
|value6 = 0.3
|color6 = #F7B718
|label7 = Estonian
|value7 = 0.3
|color7 = #0072CE
|label8 = Other
|value8 = 3.0
|color8 = #C5C5C5
}}
Seinäjoki is a monolingual [[Finnish language|Finnish-speaking]] municipality. {{As of|2024}}, the majority of the population, {{formatnum: {{Data Finland municipality/native language Finnish|Seinäjoki}}}} persons ({{Percentage|sigfig = 3|{{Data Finland municipality/native language Finnish|Seinäjoki}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Seinäjoki}}}}), spoke Finnish as their first language. In addition, the number of [[Swedish-speaking population of Finland|Swedish speakers]] was {{formatnum: {{Data Finland municipality/native language Swedish|Seinäjoki }}}} persons ({{Percentage|sigfig = 1|{{Data Finland municipality/native language Swedish|Seinäjoki}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Seinäjoki}}}}) of the population. Foreign languages were spoken by {{Formatnum: {{pct|{{Data Finland municipality/native language other|Seinäjoki}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Seinäjoki}}|1}}}} of the population.<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/> As [[English language|English]] and [[Swedish language|Swedish]] are compulsory school subjects, functional bilingualism or trilingualism acquired through language studies is not uncommon.

At least 30 different languages are spoken in Seinäjoki. The most common foreign languages are [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] (0.8%), [[Russian language|Russian]] (0.5%), [[English language|English]] (0.4%), [[Arabic]] (0.3%) and [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]] (0.3%).<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>

=== Immigration ===

{|class="wikitable" style="float:right;" 
|colspan="3"|'''Population by country of birth (2024)'''<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>
|-\
! Nationality || Population || %
|-
|{{flag|Finland}} || 62,873 || 94.4
|-
|{{flag|Ukraine}} || 350 || 0.5
|-
|{{flag|Soviet Union}} || 348 || 0.5
|-
|{{flag|Sweden}} || 315 || 0.5
|-
|{{flag|Sri Lanka}} || 204 || 0.3
|-
|{{flag|Thailand}} || 179 || 0.3
|-
|{{flag|Estonia}} || 173 || 0.3
|-
|{{flag|Nepal}} || 163 || 0.2
|-
|{{flag|Bangladesh}} || 152 || 0.2
|-
|{{flag|Turkey}} || 135 || 0.2
|-
|{{flag|Russia}} || 123 || 0.2
|- 
|Other || 1,596 || 2.4
|- 
|}
{{As of|2024}}, there were 3,651 persons with a foreign background living in Seinäjoki, or 6% of the population.{{refn|Statistics Finland classifies a person as having a "foreign background" if both parents or the only known parent were born abroad.<ref name="statistics-finland-persons-with-foreign-background">{{cite web |access-date=18 September 2023 |title=Persons with foreign background |publisher=Statistics Finland | url=https://www.stat.fi/tup/maahanmuutto/maahanmuuttajat-vaestossa/ulkomaalaistaustaiset_en.html}}</ref>|group=note}} The number of residents who were born abroad was 3,738, or 6% of the population. The number of persons with foreign citizenship living in Seinäjoki was 2,714. Most foreign-born citizens came from [[Ukraine]], the former [[Soviet Union]], [[Sweden]] and [[Sri Lanka]].<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>

The relative share of immigrants in Seinäjoki's population is below to the national average. However, the city's new residents are increasingly of foreign origin. This will increase the proportion of foreign residents in the coming years.

=== Religion ===

In 2023, the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland|Evangelical Lutheran Church]] was the largest religious group with 76.7% of the population of Seinäjoki. Other religious groups accounted for 2.1% of the population. 21.2% of the population had no religious affiliation.<ref>[https://pxdata.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11ra.px Key figures on population by region, 1990-2023] Statistics Finland</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Interior of Torikeskus 20180417.jpg|thumb|Interior of the [[Torikeskus (Seinäjoki shopping centre)|Torikeskus]] shopping center in the city center]]
[[Nordic Regional Airlines]] has its financial office in Seinäjoki.<ref>"[http://flynorra.com/about-us/?lang=en About Us]." Nordic Regional Airlines. Retrieved on October 25, 2016.</ref> Its predecessor, [[Finncomm Airlines]], had its head office on the grounds of [[Seinäjoki Airport]] in nearby [[Ilmajoki]].<ref>"[http://www.fc.fi/info/contact_information.html Contact Information]." [[Finncomm Airlines]]. Retrieved on 25 February 2010.</ref>

In terms of market area, Seinäjoki is the sixth largest city in the country.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.seinajoki.fi/tekniikka/kaupunkisuunnittelu_ja_kaavoitus/13_jouppi/.13046_kauppa-joupin_asemakaava.html/34405.pdf | title =Kauppa-Joupin asemakaavoitus, Kaupallisten ja sosiaalisten vaikutusten arviointi | date =May 10, 2010 | work= Entrecon | publisher =Seinäjoen kaupunki | access-date = November 16, 2020 | language= fi }}</ref> Also Seinäjoki has a nationally and internationally significant food production and R&D industry. Headquartered in Seinäjoki food company [[Atria Corporation]]'s net sales in 2009 were EUR 1316 million and it employed an average of 6,214 persons in several countries. According to a study published by the Economic Survey at the end of 2018, Seinäjoki has the best image among corporate leaders among the 36 largest Finnish cities and municipalities. The survey had asked the [[CEO]]s and [[CFO]]s of companies operating in the area about the municipality's affairs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.taloustutkimus.fi/ajankohtaista/uutisia/seinajoella-on-paras-imago.html |title=Seinäjoella on paras imago |publisher=Taloustutkimus (taloustutkimus.fi) |date=December 11, 2018 |access-date=November 16, 2020|language=fi}}</ref>

Seinäjoki also is well known for having a large number of SME's and a big number of shops for its size. One of the most important shopping places in Seinäjoki is the [[Torikeskus (Seinäjoki shopping centre)|Torikeskus]] shopping mall in the city center.

==Culture==
{{Unreferencedsect|date=August 2024}}
There are many kinds of cultural events in Seinäjoki nowadays. For example, Seinäjoki is known for hosting three large summer events: ''[[Tangomarkkinat]]'', which is a [[tango (dance)|tango]] festival typically attracting more than 100,000 visitors annually, ''Vauhtiajot'', which is a motor racing event/music festival, and ''[[Provinssirock]]'', which is one of the largest and oldest rock festivals in Finland. 
Rytmikorjaamo is a popular rock club, wherein almost every weekend some Finnish or international artists perform. In Seinäjoki there are also several other bars and clubs offering live music and other entertainment. The city theatre of Seinäjoki has a wide, quality program throughout the year, offering plays for everyone. The city orchestra of Seinäjoki performs many concerts in the area and has had many tours in Finland and abroad.

== Sport ==
[[File:Seinäjoki Areena 20180626.jpg|thumb|{{ill|Seinäjoki Arena|fi|Seinäjoki Areena}}, a multi-purpose hall in Jouppila, Seinäjoki]]
Seinäjoki is home to a big number of sports clubs, such as [[SJK Seinäjoki]], a professional football team that competes in the Finnish [[Veikkausliiga]]. SJK is one of the top football teams in Finland and it plays in the brand new [[OmaSp Stadion]]. Seinäjoki is also home to [[Seinäjoki Crocodiles]], an [[American football]] team.

Seinäjoki Speedway track is a [[motorcycle speedway]] venue located on the south east outskirts of the city, off the Routakalliontie road by the quarry.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.semk.fi/ |title=Seinäjoen Moottorikerho  | website=Seinäjoen Moottorikerho |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref> The track held a qualifying round of the [[Speedway World Team Cup]] in 1992<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/ |title=Speedway World Cup  | website=International Speedway |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref> and has held the final of the [[Finnish Individual Speedway Championship]] on 11 occasions from 1986 to 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.speedwaysanomat.fi/tekstit/tilastot_sm.html |title=Speedway Individual Finnish Championship |website=Speedway Sanomat |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref>

[[Seinäjoen JymyJussit]] and [[Seinäjoen Maila-Jussit]] are the city's men's and women's [[pesäpallo]] teams respectively in the [[Superpesis]] national league, playing at [[Seinäjoki Pesäpallo Stadium]].

==Sights==
*[[Lakeuden Risti Church]] ("The Cross of the Plains")
*[[Aalto Centre, Seinäjoki|Alvar Aalto's cultural and administrative centre]], comprising the [[Seinäjoki City Hall|City Hall]],  [[Seinäjoki Library|library]] and [[Seinäjoki City Theatre|theatre]], among others
*The [[Mannerheim Park, Seinäjoki|Mannerheim Park]]
*The Southern Ostrobothnia District Museum
*The Civil Guard and Lotta Svärd Museum, located at the [[Seinäjoki Civil Guard House]]
*Törnävä church
*The railway exhibition
*Mallaskoski brewery

===Other points of interest===
*Törnävä Museum Area
*the Suviyö trotting-race
*Törnävä summer theatre – Seinäjoki
*Jouppi mountain winter sports centre
*Seinäjoki City Theatre
*[[Provinssirock]]
*[[Tangomarkkinat]]
*Vauhtiajot

{{Wide image|Seinäjoki, from Alvar Aalto tower.jpg|1000px|Panorama image of Seinäjoki}}

==Education==
[[Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences]] (SeAMK) is the local higher education institution, that also pursues an international profile.

==Notable people==
*[[Jukka Hildén]], stuntman, [[The Dudesons]]
*[[Antti Isotalo (Jäger)|Antti Isotalo]], ''[[Jäger Movement|jäger]]'', tribal warrior, [[Alko]]'s local leader
*[[Katja Kankaanpää]], mixed martial artist
*[[Mari Kiviniemi]], politician (Prime Minister of Finland 2010—2011)
*[[Paula Koivuniemi]], singer
*[[Petri Kontiola]], hockey player
*[[Pekka Koskela]], speed skater
*[[Jarno Laasala]], stuntman, The Dudesons
*[[Hannu Lahtinen]], world wrestling champion
*[[Veli Lampi]], soccer player
*[[Jarppi Leppälä]], stuntman, The Dudesons
*[[Tapio Luoma]], Archbishop
*[[Jorma Ollila]], former chairman and CEO of the [[Nokia Corporation]]
*[[Hannu-Pekka Parviainen|Hannu-Pekka "HP" Parviainen]], snowboarder, stuntman, The Dudesons
*[[Pekka Puska]], public health researcher and official
*[[Paula Risikko]], Member of Parliament and Minister
*[[Arto Saari]], skateboarder
*[[Softengine]], rock pop band

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Finland}}

===Twin towns — Sister cities===
Seinäjoki is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twinning and partnership cities |publisher=City of Seinäjoki |access-date=27 September 2024 |url= https://www.seinajoki.fi/en/city-of-seinajoki/international-matters/twinning/ |language=en }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Koszalin]], [[Poland]]
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Schweinfurt]], [[Germany]]
*{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Sopron]], [[Hungary]]
*{{flagicon|UKR}} [[Melitopol]], [[Ukraine]]
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Jiangjin District]], [[China]]

== See also ==
* [[Ilmajoki]]
* [[Isokyrö]]
* [[Lapua]]
* [[Peräseinäjoki]]
* [[Vaasa]]

== Sources ==
=== Literatures ===
*{{cite book | author= Reino Ala-Kulju | year= 1963 | title= Seinäjoen kirja | publisher= Seinäjoen seurakunta | language=fi}}
*{{cite book | author= Aulis J. Alanen | year= 1970 | title= Seinäjoen historia I | publisher= Seinäjoen kaupunki | language=fi}}
*{{cite book | author= Annikki Kyttä & Tenho Takalo | year= 1977 | title= Seinäjoen historia II | publisher= Seinäjoen kaupunki | isbn=951-99131-5-7 | language=fi}}

=== References ===
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

=== Notes ===
{{reflist|group=note}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline}}
*[https://www.seinajoki.fi/en/ Seinäjoki] – Official website
*[https://www.provinssi.fi/ Provinssi] – rock festival
*[https://www.tangomarkkinat.fi/ Tangomarkkinat] – tango festival

{{Seinäjoki}}
{{Geographic location
 | Centre = Seinäjoki
 | NE = [[Kauhava]]
 | E  = [[Lapua]]<br/>[[Kuortane]]<br/>[[Alavus]]
 | SE = [[Virrat]] ([[Pirkanmaa]])
 | S  = [[Kihniö]] ([[Pirkanmaa]])
 | W  = [[Ilmajoki]]<br/>[[Kurikka]]
 | NW = [[Isokyrö]]
}}
{{SouthernOstrobothnia}}
{{50 most populous Finnish municipalities}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seinajoki}}
[[Category:Seinäjoki| ]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Finland]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1868]]
[[Category:1868 establishments in Finland]]
[[Category:Municipalities of South Ostrobothnia]]