Helly Hansen Sponsors Wuzhen Theatre Festival With Water Art Installation and Themed Boat Experience

Helly Hansen became an official sponsor of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival, marking its presence in the historic water town with a site-specific activation that ran from October 21, 2026. The Norwegian outdoor brand collaborated with artist Tyler to create a large-scale water art installation moored beneath the Bailian Tower in Wuzhen's Xi Zha (西栅) district. The work fuses the Norse sea giant Aegir from Norse mythology with orca whale imagery, connecting the brand's Scandinavian heritage to the watery setting of the festival venue.

A themed sightseeing boat decorated with small orca whale motifs ferried visitors through Wuzhen's canal network as part of the activation. The brand also invited Dayoudeayao (大有的阿幺), an actor participating in the festival's young competition unit, to explore the water town from an explorer's perspective and document the outdoor lifestyle across natural scenery, local culture, and theatrical art. That content was distributed on Xiaohongshu alongside the offline festival presence.

The campaign brings together three distinct registers — mythological art, heritage tourism, and live performance — to position Helly Hansen within China's growing cultural event circuit. By anchoring the activation to a physical landmark, commissioning original public art, and tying in a festival-affiliated talent, the brand moves beyond conventional sports sponsorship into a space where outdoor lifestyle and cultural credibility intersect.