Live Nation to operate Helsinki Halli arena

Live Nation has taken on a 20-year long-term lease to operate Finland’s Helsinki Halli, restoring the arena to the international touring map.

Live Nation’s agreement to run the venue, which was announced at ILMC this morning, follows its recent purchase by a consortium led by Finnish investor Heikki Viitikko and Trevian Asset Management Oy.

The former Hartwall Arena has been mothballed for the past three years due to sanctions on its previous Russian ownership.

First opened in 1997, the 15,900-cap Helsinki Halli is the largest arena in Finland. It has been closed since 2020, apart from a brief reopening in 2021. When open, the arena generates more than €100 million for the Helsinki economy annually.

“There has been a gap in the live music scene in Finland since Helsinki Halli closed, and we’re proud to play a part in bringing the arena back to life”

‘There has been a gap in the live music scene in Finland since Helsinki Halli closed, and we’re proud to play a part in bringing the arena back to life,” says Tom Lynch, Live Nation president venues EMEA said. “We can’t wait to get artists back on its stage, and fans back through the doors again.’

Helsinki Halli is due to open in spring 2025, with announcements regarding the first acts coming soon. Discussions are also underway regarding the potential sporting uses of the arena, as the venue was previously home to the local ice hockey team.

‘We have more than one reason to be delighted today,” adds Heikki Viitikko, main owner and chair of Helsinki Halli. “Firstly, Finland’s premier venue is back to local ownership and soon ready to reopen. Secondly, in co-operation with Live Nation, the world’s leading live entertainment company, together we can take the first step on the road to reinventing this industry-leading arena.”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Read More Like This

News|19 Feb 2025

Deal completed for shuttered Helsinki arena

A Finnish real estate company has acquired the country's largest arena from its Russian ownership, ending a three-year impasse

News|08 Nov 2024

Helsinki bids to expropriate Russian-owned arena

The city is stepping up its efforts to seize Finland's largest indoor arena, which has been shuttered since early 2022

News|03 Feb 2025

Helsinki to gain second multipurpose arena

As hopes grow for the reopening of the ex-Hartwall Arena, another venue scheme has taken a major leap forward in Finland's capital