The visual identity of the 60th edition of Pori Jazz, taking place in July 2027, pays tribute to the festival’s history and to Jaakko Hosia, the designer of its very first festival poster. Hosia’s brass instrument-themed poster has become one of the most recognizable early festival artworks in Finnish cultural history and, over the years, has also gained status as a highly valued collector’s item.
Jaakko Hosia (on the left) playing jazz with other musicians.
Jaakko Hosia (1941–2005) was a visual artist, painter, and jazz enthusiast born in Pori. After the death of his father, writer Eino Hosia, during the Continuation War shortly after Jaakko’s birth, his childhood was spent in various parts of Finland as well as in Sweden, where he lived as a war child. His mother, Marjatta Hosia, who worked among other roles as a school principal, played a significant part in shaping her son’s cultural upbringing. Hosia spent his youth in South Ostrobothnia, where his lifelong passion for jazz first emerged.
Having studied art in both Rome and at the Ateneum, Hosia graduated as a painter in 1969 and maintained a strong connection to Pori and its cultural life throughout his career. He was closely involved with the artistic circles surrounding the early years of Pori Jazz and witnessed the festival’s evolution into an internationally renowned event.
The visual identity of the anniversary year is built around the brass instrument motif familiar from the festival’s 1966 poster. It honours the distinctive visual language of Hosia’s original work while bringing the festival’s history into the spotlight as a visible part of the celebrations. At the same time, the design serves as a reminder of the roots from which Pori Jazz has grown over six decades into one of Europe’s best-known jazz festivals.
