MIDWINTER REVISITED
DECEMBER 8-11, 2022
Suomenlinna, Helsinki
practical
jollity is efficiency!
Midwinter is a Nordic larp (live-action role-playing game) for 90+ participants. For more information about larp as a medium, and Nordic larp as a style, please visit nordiclarp.org.
location
The larp is played in a historical naval granary, Tenalji von Fersen, located at the world heritage site Suomenlinna, in Helsinki, Finland. The granary, built in 1775, is fully renovated as a modern event space, and is clean, heated, and has modern kitchen and bathroom facilities, and WiFi.
Suomenlinna is reached via ferry, operating 1-3 times an hour throughout the day. Ferries are part of Helsinki public transport, and depart from Kauppatori in the middle of Helsinki. The ride takes approximately 15 minutes, after which there’s a 1km walk from the ferry terminal to the larp venue. Transportation can be arranged to participants to whom walking is not an option.
schedule
Midwinter takes place from Thursday to Sunday, December 8-11, 2022.
Participants are expected to arrive at the venue on Thursday between 3-5pm. After mandatory workshops on Thursday and Friday, the larp is played as three separate acts during Friday and Saturday. All nights are offgame and off-site.
The larp ends on Saturday around 9pm. The evening continues as an afterparty at the same venue.
A voluntary debrief session is held on Sunday between 11am-1pm. It will take place in a different downtown location for easier accessibility.
accommodation
Accommodation is not included in the larp ticket, and sleeping at the venue is not possible. For those wanting to book accommodation with their larp ticket, we have rooms available at Scandic Grand Marina close to the Kauppatori ferry terminal. The cost for accommodation for three nights (Thu-Sun), including breakfast, is EUR 130 per person for a triple room, and EUR 165 per person for a double room.
For a smaller budget it's worth checking out Hostel Suomenlinna close to the larp site. Unfortunately, they have limited availability, so not everyone who needs accommodation can stay there. Participants interested in this option should do their own booking.
Couch-surfing at local larpers’ homes is a valid option for accommodation in Helsinki. Organizers will help connect possible hosts and guests, but cannot take responsibility for individual sleeping arrangements.
Please note, that depending on your accommodation option, traveling to and from the larp venue can take a lot of time each day. It's advisable to consider this when looking for places to sleep.
food & drinks
The larp ticket includes lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday. Snacks, soft drinks, coffee, and tea are available throughout the event. Breakfast is included in the hotel accommodation only.
No alcoholic drinks are included in the ticket. We recommend buying any personal snacks and drinks from the mainland, as 50+ larpers queuing in the sole grocery store in Suomenlinna may seriously delay our schedule.
costumes & props
The only gear participants are expected to bring to the site is their own costume. Everything else is covered by the ticket. Bringing extra props is of course appreciated, not but necessary.
A representational elf costume might look like a 1930s factory worker in a SantaLand tourist attraction, with touches of Nordic folklore and 1950s Coca-Cola Christmas. Mismatched, second-hand clothing in green, gray, and red is a good starting point for most characters. A more detailed costume guide will be released closer to the larp.
accessibility
The venue is not fully accessible. We are prepared to figure out case-by-case solutions to solve this — please contact us directly for more information.
While the main hall, offgame room, and an accessible bathroom are reached via an elevator, several other play areas are separated by stairs. The impact of these limitations can be diminished by casting choices. All key scenes of the larp take place in, or can be moved to, the main hall.
The 1km walk from the ferry terminal to the site is hilly and paved with old cobblestone. Participants in the need of transportation will have a chance to request it closer to the event.
The venue will be lit with stage lights. Some rooms may periodically have dim or low light, but for the most part the area will be sufficiently lit. No loud music or high decibel sounds are played. However, the soundscape is repetitive and pervasive by design, and may feel stressful and disruptive.
In addition to the staffed offgame room, we’ll reserve a small quiet space where no conversations are allowed. This space is open throughout the event for all participants who need momentary silence or rest.
All players and characters will wear name tags throughout the event.