Would you like to be the one to place a student’s cap on Manta’s head on May Day 2026?

Students place the student cap on the head of the Havis Amanda statue.

Do you like working on projects as part of a team? Have you always wanted to party with 80,000 people? Is hanging from a crane one of your greatest dreams?

The Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY) will crown the Havis Amanda statue on May Day Eve, 30 April 2026. HYY is now looking for eight volunteers for our crowning team, or Manta Crew, to participate in planning the programme and promotion of the event.

Manta Crew is divided into three smaller teams by area of responsibility: the programme team (three people), the communication team (three people) and the partnership team (two people) The crew is supported in its work by HYY’s producer and communications specialist who are in charge of the arrangements for the crowning at HYY’s Central Office. The crew starts its work in January 2026 by learning about the crowning. The project ends by June 2026.

As a member of Manta Crew:

You will get a front-row view of organising a major public event.
You will get to crown Manta in front of an audience of 80,000 people.
You will receive support and help for your work from HYY’s specialists.
You will be guaranteed to have the most memorable May Day ever!

You can apply to become a member of Manta Crew by filling in an application form in Lyyti 10 December 2025–13 January 2026. The form closes at 11.59 pm on 13 January. For further information on Manta Crew and the crowning, please contact HYY’s producer or communications specialist until 17 December and again from 7 January onwards. We will contact the applicants by 16 January.

The Crowning of Havis Amanda, or Manta, is the students’ cheerful May Day event that brings together a whopping 80,000 people to celebrate every year. The key moment of the event comes at 6 pm when Manta is crowned with a student’s cap. The theme of the crowning is the Baltic Sea and its wellbeing. The theme can be seen in the programme and advance communication for the event, for instance.