Finland invites singles rejected on dating apps on a free trip to meet life partners over dinner; check eligibility and how to apply; registration closing soon

What if a blind date meant travelling to the world's happiest country, sitting down to a candlelit dinner and discovering a new cuisine along the way? Finland is inviting international singles to try exactly that through a new tourism campaign called Have Some Finnish.

The country is selecting 16 people from around the world for two exclusive group dinner experiences in February 2027. The selected participants will travel to Helsinki and Tampere, meet Finnish singles and fellow food lovers, and sample specially created tasting menus based on local culinary traditions.

The experience combines dating with a food-focused holiday, giving participants a chance to discover Finland through its cuisine, people and winter landscapes.

Finland's dinner date experience: What is on offer?

The Finnish Dinner Date experiences will take place between February 9 and 19, 2027. One dinner event will be held in Helsinki and the other in Tampere, in Finland's Lakeland region.

Eight participants will be selected for each dinner, making 16 in total. The events will be organised as relaxed group dinners rather than one-to-one blind dates. Participants will dine together and enjoy one of Finland's official tasting menus.

The exact dinner destination will be revealed to the selected participants only after they confirm their participation. The campaign is designed to introduce visitors to Finnish food while giving them an opportunity to meet new people, including local singles.

How to apply for Finland's blind dinner date?

Anyone interested in taking part can apply through FinnishDinnerDate.com. The application involves answering one question: What would you serve on a dinner date, and why?

Applicants must record a video in English sharing their answer and post it on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube. They must use the hashtag #FinnishDinnerDate and tag Visit Finland's official account on the platform.

The social media handles for the dinner campaign are @ourfinland on Instagram, @visitfinland.com on TikTok and @VisitFinland on YouTube.

After posting the video, applicants must complete the application form on FinnishDinnerDate.com and include a link to their video.

Those who do not want to make their video public can upload it to YouTube as an Unlisted video. They can then share its link in the application form.

Last date to apply and winner announcement

Applications will close on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 11:59 am Finnish time (EET, UTC+2).

The 16 selected participants will be announced on December 1 through Visit Finland's Instagram and TikTok accounts. The selected applicants will then get the opportunity to take part in one of the two February dinner experiences.

What food will participants get to try?

The campaign also aims to introduce international visitors to Finnish cuisine, which organisers say remains relatively unfamiliar outside the country.

The Helsinki tasting menu will be created by Chef Adele Kinnunen, head chef at Café Savoy. Kinnunen has worked in high-end kitchens and appeared on MasterChef Professionals in Finland.

The Lakeland menu will be created by Chef Henry Tikkanen, restaurateur of Gösta. He has represented Finland at the Bocuse d'Or competition and was named Finnish Chef of the Year in 2001.

Finnish cuisine draws heavily on ingredients found in the country's natural surroundings. Wild fish, game, berries, mushrooms and locally sourced produce form an important part of its food culture. Seasonal ingredients, foraging and traditional cooking methods are also central to the experience.

Why is Finland organising a dating dinner?

The campaign takes inspiration from Finland's viral 'Sinkkukori', or 'single basket', trend. These pink grocery baskets allow single shoppers to signal that they are open to meeting someone while shopping.

Through the dinner date campaign, Business Finland and Visit Finland are extending that idea to international visitors, using food as a way to bring people together.

The initiative builds on Finland's Official Tasting experiences, introduced in early 2026 to showcase the country's regional food traditions. These experiences combine meals with local stories, landscapes and cultural traditions.

For the selected participants, the February trip will offer two possibilities: discovering Finnish food and meeting someone new in the country known for topping global happiness rankings.