Former United States President Barack Obama will visit Tampere's Nokia Arena in May for a ticketed speaking engagement.
He is hosting an event called 'A Conversation with President Barack Obama' on Tuesday, 13 May, according to a press release from Visual Media.
Organisers said the event will explore the key themes that shaped his presidency, while also offering insights from his time in the White House.
This is, however, not Obama's first visit to Finland. The former American president addressed business leaders at a seminar in Helsinki in 2018.
Pre-sale tickets will be available starting Thursday, with general sales beginning on 3 March. Prices have not yet been announced.
Ahead of his arrival in Finland, Obama is set to appear in Oslo on 12 May, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
Former US President Joe Biden, who served as Obama's vice president during two presidential terms, paid an official visit to Finland in 2023. Before that, US President Donald Trump visited Helsinki in 2018 for a summit with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
Security arrangements and fees
The 44th US president's arrival is expected to trigger massive security arrangements in Tampere. When speaking at Helsinki's Fair Centre in 2018, guests were security screened.
At that time, Obama's security in Finland was handled not only by the police but also by the US Secret Service accompanying him. His Finnish trip seven years ago was limited to the airport and the Fair Centre, according to Helsingin Sanomat.
It's still unclear how much Obama will profit from speaking in Tampere. The fee for his previous Finnish event was kept under wraps, as will likely be the case this time. Tickets to his 2018 talk cost up to 3,700 euros apiece.
Giving talks has been lucrative for Obama. In 2017, it was reported that he earned 400,000 euros from a single event.
Barack and Michelle Obama are represented by the Harry Walker Agency, which also represents former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
In 2006, former US President Bill Clinton hosted a leadership seminar in Tampere. Tabloid Ilta-Sanomat later reported that Clinton strolled casually around the city, visiting Koskikeskus, where he stopped at a kebab restaurant and browsed the belt selection at Dressmann.
EDITED on 25 February at 12:12pm to add detail.
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