Hamina Tattoo's environmental pledge has been published

This year, the Hamina Tattoo military music festival is aiming for the Eco-Compass environmental system. The Eco-Compass environmental certificate will be audited by an independent expert at the Hamina Tattoo 2026 event. The idea for the certification came from Hamina Tattoo's Executive Director, Tiina Salonen:

 “Organizing a large event always puts a strain on the environment in many ways. Aiming for the Ecocompass certificate gives us a clear framework and tools to take the festival's sustainability issues forward. It makes our environmental work measurable and goal-oriented. We want to offer festival-goers experiences that are built on a sustainable foundation.”

Together for more environmentally responsible operations

Event services producer Eija Karnaattu acts as the Ecocompass contact person and also encourages event visitors and partners to participate in minimizing environmental impacts:

“The creation of our environmental program is now at the stage where the written material has been compiled and reviewed with the auditor. The final step before receiving the certificate is an event-time audit, where we check that everything in our environmental system is as we have planned. Event attendees can also help with this.”

The actions do not have to be large on an individual level. The venues of Hamina Tattoo are within walking distance of each other. It is recommended to travel between the venues on foot or by bike if possible. The method of ticket delivery also matters. Electronic tickets have a lower environmental impact than physical paper tickets. This year, more attention has been paid to sorting, and visitors are also expected to sort their waste carefully. Their own reusable water bottle is an ecological and economical choice. The city has fixed drinking water points at Raatihuoneto, Kauppatori, Kesäpuisto and Lipputorni Park.

Hamina Tattoo's environmental pledge

For us, Hamina Tattoo is more than music: it is about preserving traditions and caring for our shared environment. This year, we are making our environmental work even more determined: we have adopted the official Eco-Compass environmental system, the first audit of which will be carried out during the 2026 event.

We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our event through concrete actions:

Local experience on foot: Hamina Tattoo is a walkable festival. All of our official venues are located in the center of Hamina, within a short walking distance of each other. We encourage our audience and staff to travel between venues on foot or by bike.

Circular economy in procurement: We make purchases with common sense in mind. We primarily reuse existing materials, secondarily borrow or rent, and only buy new when necessary.

Exact materials: When making new purchases, we pay attention to the quality and recyclability of materials. We prefer products and partners that have an official and independent environmental label (such as the Nordic Swan Ecolabel or the EU Ecolabel).

Sorting and recycling: We will make waste sorting as clear as possible for participants and staff. We will systematically improve our recycling rate in cooperation with local waste management.

Shared commitment: Our Eco-Compass work also obliges our partners. We engage in continuous dialogue with performers, catering services and other stakeholders so that we can measurably improve event production year after year.

For more information: 

Eija Karnaattu
Hamina Event Services, Producer (Ekokompassi contact person)
tel. 040 594 4717
eija.karnaattu@hamina.fi 

Tiina Salonen
Hamina Tattoo, CEO
tel. 0400 608 997
tiina.salonen@hamina.fi