Moomin Characters, the parent company of the global phenomenon created by the acclaimed Finnish artist, illustrator, and writer Tove Jansson, has launched its 80th-anniversary celebrations for the Moomins.
Since their debut in 1945, the Moomin stories have inspired generations worldwide with their messages of inclusiveness, kindness, and belonging. For the anniversary celebrations, Moomin Characters revisits the first Moomin story written by Jansson, The Moomins and the Great Flood. At the center of this story is the Moominhouse, which offers shelter, comfort, and security–universal needs that are as timeless today as they were 80 years ago–to all who seek it.
Under the theme of “The Door is Always Open” new and returning fans alike are invited to join in global Moomin80 celebrations throughout 2025, including charitable fundraisers, fan competitions, new book, film, and product launches, and much more.
“As we celebrate 80 years of Moomin, it’s a privilege to carry forward Tove Jansson’s legacy of inclusivity, creativity, and compassion. The theme ‘The Door is Always Open’ reflects the universal values at the heart of Moomin stories. We are excited to see how fans around the world will embrace these timeless messages through the exhibitions, Moominhouse competition, and new collaborations we have planned throughout the year,” shared James Zambra, Creative Director at Moomin Characters Ltd. and Thomas Zambra, Head of Business Development at Moomin Characters Ltd.
The anniversary year is bookended by two major exhibitions in Jansson’s home country, each highlighting facets of her life and art that have previously gone unexplored. Filling two floors of the Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) and opening October 25, Tove Jansson: Paradise takes an in-depth look at the artist’s public paintings and the preparatory studies previously unseen by the public.
Several other exhibitions focused on Moomins and Tove Jansson will open throughout 2025, including From Moomin to Chop Chop – Tove Jansson, Ilon Wikland, Pija Lindenbaum and Linda Bondestam, at Waldemarsudde, Stockholm, Sweden, highlighting four of the Nordic region’s most prominent children’s book illustrators (Feb. 15–Aug. 17, 2025); The Moomin Valley from Łódź’s SEMAFOR Studio at Lodz Film Museum, Poland (May 22–Nov. 23, 2025); Tove Jansson’s Forest of Drawings at ASCE, Hong Kong (Kong (Nov. 22–Jan. 5, 2025); a touring Moomin exhibition at Mori Arts Center Gallery, Japan (July 2025–June 2027); and Artist Life, a biographical exhibition on Tove Jansson on view at Tampere Moomin Museum (–April 19, 2025).
The Moomin80 celebrations will culminate in an exhibition opening at the Architecture and Design Museum Helsinki in October 2025, which will explore Jansson’s unique approaches to architecture and design and how she masterfully crafted both imaginary and physical spaces.
Moomin Characters will also collaborate with renowned fashion retailers and designers to launch collections inspired by the Moomins’ timeless themes and bring Moomin gifts and lifestyle products to new audiences in the United States and worldwide throughout the anniversary year. Beginning in November 2024, in time for the holiday season, Moomin Characters will launch a major new partnership with retailer Urban Outfitters, bringing an exclusive collection of Moomin-branded products into all 195 stores in the United States.
Leading Finnish furniture designer Artek, founded in 1935, and Moomin Characters will celebrate their dual anniversary and launch a new Artek + Moomin collection. Available for purchase in March 2025, the reimagined Aalto products feature early drawings by Tove Jansson. On October 23, 2024, Japanese designer Tao Kurihara will debut a Tove Jansson-inspired runway collection, to be followed by a Moomin-inspired collection launching in 2025, for tao by Comme des Garçons.
The much-anticipated adaptation of Jansson’s beloved novel The Summer Book by director Charlie McDowell will also hit screens in 2025 following premieres at BFI London Film Festival and AFI Film Fest in October 2024. The Summer Book film captures a unique friendship on a small island in the Gulf of Finland between a young girl and her grandmother, played by eight-time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close.
Fans can also look forward to the newest season of the award-winning game Sky: Children of the Light from thatgamecompany, which blends the enchanting world of Moomin with rich visual and emotional storytelling, leading players on a journey of friendship, healing, and self-acceptance. The whimsical season lasts through December 29, 2024.
In line with the theme ‘The Door is Always Open,’ Moomin Characters will launch a global competition on October 24, 2024, inviting fans of all ages to create their own version of the Moominhouse: a sanctuary for fun and celebration where everyone is welcome. Fans’ interpretations can be made in the medium of their choice and will be displayed in an online gallery. The competition will be judged by an expert panel of artists, experts, and Moomin enthusiasts, who will award ten prizes for inspiring work. Winners of the ‘Create your own Moominhouse’ competition will be announced on May 28, 2025.
In a time when vast numbers of people worldwide are without access to adequate care and safety, Moomin Characters and The Red Cross have extended their longstanding partnership to gather funds for those in need across fifteen countries. Part of the proceeds from selected products sold will be donated to The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to contribute to its humanitarian work. Moomin Characters has also pledged a total of €100,000 to select Red Cross Societies to further their efforts in crisis relief and community resilience-building. A global donation site is available to supporters worldwide who wish to contribute directly.
For the anniversary year, Moomin Arabia has also partnered with The Red Cross in various countries to gather funds for those in need. Special collections created for the partnership will include a donation section to support the humanitarian work of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Moomin Arabia will also join the Red Cross in Japan at the Osaka Expo, an event that brings together people and innovations from around the world to address issues facing humankind globally.
Jansson’s iconic stories, from the Moomin series to her most popular adult novels, will become more widely accessible throughout the 80th anniversary celebrations. Anniversary editions and new titles to include:
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Tove Jansson, published on October 29, 2024, by New York Review of Books;
- Jansson’s later novel Sun City translated by Thomas Teal and based on her own travels through America, published on November 26, 2024, by the New York Review of Books;
- The Moomins Find a Home Pop-Up Book by Elena Selena, based on The Moomins and the Great Flood, published in February 2025 by Boxer Books / Union Square Kids.
- The Moomins and the Great Flood Anniversary Edition with a foreword by Frank Cottrell Boyce, published in spring 2025 by Drawn & Quarterly;
- The World of Moominvalley Anniversary Edition, published on July 22, 2025 by Macmillan;
- Deluxe high-end hardcovers of all eight original Moomin novels by Tove Jansson, available in fall 2025 by Drawn & Quarterly.
To stay updated on Moomin80 celebrations, including more announcements on exhibitions, product launches, and charitable initiatives, please visit www.moomin.com/moomin80. Fans are encouraged to join the global festivities, with new opportunities and collaborations continuing throughout 2025 to celebrate the lasting legacy of Tove Jansson and the beloved Moomins.
