Country Profile: Finland

With the exception of some agencies such as Internationaali Säätö Oy (ISO), Finland’s promoting scene is dominated by international companies such as Live Nation, Eventim (which owns Fullsteam Agency through FKP Scorpio), and All Things Live.

The UK-based Superstruct Entertainment, now purchased by American equity firm KKR, is also a major player in Finland’s festival economy, owning major festivals such as Flow (15,000) and Tuska (21,000). Flow Festival attracted the likes of Fred again.., Janelle Monae, and Raye, whereas the metal festival Tuska saw headliners such as Bring Me The Horizon, Opeth, and Pendulum this year.

“Finland is known to have a very high level of production. We have good venues and amazing production professionals,” says Aino-Maria Paasivirta, head promoter at Fullsteam Agency. Despite the sanctioning and closing of the Helsinki- based and Russian-owned Hartwell Arena in 2022, the live market is still buzzing.

From Live Nation working with Coldplay, who made their debut selling out four shows in a row at the 36,200-cap Helsinki Olympic Stadium, to Fullsteam’s yearly rock festival Provinssi, which featured Bring Me The Horizon and Nothing But Thieves, it’s clear even from the past year alone that the professionals in the Finnish market strive to create high-quality experiences for international acts and their audiences.

“Finland is known to have a very high level of production. We have good venues and amazing production professionals”

However, like many promoters, Paasivirta acknowledges the challenges that arise when artists abroad consider performing in Finland, such as high expenses, which often mean that tours end in Stockholm. Richie Mattila, promoter at ISO, with 45 years’ experience in the industry, notices a trend. “Big headliners who used to pick up one or two shows in Finland in the past, [now] concentrate on bigger markets where they can do multiple shows in one big city.”

Hardi Loog, CEO at All Things Live, adds that because of the ever-increasing costs and low purchasing power amongst Finnish consumers, many promoters find themselves having to weigh up cost-efficiency with the overall quality of live events, festivals in particular. “You have to step up your game and figure out how to make it cost-efficient without sacrificing the quality of the festival,” he says.

Loog is also the founder of the annual WKND Festival, which now specialises in EDM. Over the years, the festival has seen Deadmau5, Stormzy, and Calvin Harris perform at the Helsinki event. When reflecting on successful partnerships, Loog cites the relationship established with Dutch DJ and music producer Tiësto and the importance of WKND Festival in connecting him to his fanbase.

“There is a lack of big headliners and lots of festivals in Finland, so you need to rely on domestic names”

“[Tiësto] decided to do a different festival in 2023. [That festival sold] 3,000-5,000 tickets maximum. A year later, [he] did my festival and played to more than 15,000 people. So, I guess, if you put the artist on the right platform, WKND Festival, that introduces these artists to the masses, the outcome will be successful. For some agents and managers, money is important, but I think for the artist’s long-term career, it’s important to play at the right places.”

Domestic artists are Finland’s bread and butter, particularly when it comes to summer festivals, claims Mattila. He suggests that if a promoter does not specialise in booking specific genres, booking Finnish artists is the way to go. “There is a lack of big headliners and lots of festivals in Finland, so you need to rely on domestic names,” he says.

Considering the popularity of Finnish rap and music in general, it’s clear why booking domestic bands is met with such openness. Paasivirta says that the domestic band KUUMAA is now part of their touring roster and is set to
perform in November this year.