English Summary
Empty Bowl 2025 would like to thank everyone who participated during the year and attended the event on September 13, 2025, donors and partners ❤️ Together we have raised €12,577.67 during 2025. The amount has been donated to UNICEF’s emergency aid where help is needed most at the moment.
The 23rd Empty Bowls event 13.9.2025 took place in the Helsinki Cathedral Crypt, Kirkkokatu 18,00170 Helsinki.
Our theme was empathy and community and how to put it into practise. We all have something to give and together we are more.
450 guests, donors and volunteers participated in the record-breaking event in the Cathedral crypt! Thank you Helsinki Cathedral for donating the magnificent Cathedral crypt space for our use again this year! Thank you Helsinki Design Week for the visibility, a big thank you to the ceramicists and glass artists, restaurants, bakeries, Helsinki UNICEF volunteers, musicians, event hosts, poster designer, jewelry donor, equipment donors, transportation managers and event organizers. Thank you to everyone who participated! Together we are more ❤️
Information about the donors and the event can be found at www.tyhjakulho.fi
See you again next year during Helsinki Design Week on 5.9.2026
The Empty Bowls 2026 event will be held on 5.9.2026 from 11 am to 2 pm in the traditional way in the atmospheric crypt of the Cathedral, Kirkkokatu 18, 00170 Helsinki.
Welcome!
https://www.facebook.com/tyhjakulhohelsinki
Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger. It was started 1990 in Michigan, USA, by art teachers Lisa Blackburn and John Hartom. Empty Bowls is a happy lunch event that is established through donations given by potters and other craftspeople who make beautiful handcrafted bowls, restaurants that donate delicious soups and bread. Musical entertainment is also donated to the event by exceptional artists.In exchange for a cash donation (minimum 25 €) visitors are given a handmade bowl to keep as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world.
Events take place all around the world and many millions of dollars have been raised and donated to hunger-fighting organizations. Empty Bowls Helsinki’s donations go to the Finnish UNICEF emergency fund, which uses the money to build and renovate wells, water pipes, pumps and dry toilets, and to teach children in poor countries the basics of hygiene. Work is done in over 90 worst-off countries.
Finland’s first ever Empty Bowls event took place in 2003 in Helsinki. Ceramic artist Eva Spoof gathered a group to arrange the Empty Bowls day as a celebration of her 10-year-anniversary as a ceramic artist UDUMBARA. Ceramic artists, restaurants and other volunteers participated in making the day a success. 800 bowls went in just two hours.
The most successful year so far has been 2008, when 870 guests donated approximately 15 300 euros to UNICEF.
From 2006 on the Empty Bowls Helsinki has been a part of the Helsinki Design Week. In addition, it was one of the Suomi 90 Finland jubilee year’s events. In 2011 it was one of Ornamo’s 100-year celebrations.
In 2008 Empty Bowls Helsinki was awarded the ”Vuoden UNICEF-teko” diploma and ”Kelpo esimerkki” diplomafor volunteer work.
In 22 years Empty Bolws event in Finland has raised over 222 000 euros for UNICEF´s emergency relief where help is needed most. In addition to the event, we organize smaller events throughout the year in restaurants, pottery workshops, corporate events and Christmas sales. Follow our pages and join us.
You can also donate directly:
1. MobilePay 52053
2. Finnish UNICEF bank account FI56 1555 3000 1166 09, reference 3300 4163 5250 0510 1221.
3. Online fundraiser Tyhjä kulho auttaa hädässä
For further information, please contact info(at)tyhjakulho.fi
