Tuska brings Finnish favorites and international metal heavy hitters to three stages from June 29 to July 1.
SCANDINAVIA’S LARGEST METAL FESTIVAL shows no sign of slowing down with its 21st edition this year. After the 20 year celebration last summer, the metal party continues this year with a jam-packed and very diverse line-up. From Friday, June 29 to Sunday, July 1 Suvilahti will once again turn into a sea of (mostly) black clad metal heads that will be rocking out to the tunes of Finnish favorites and international heavy hitters.
During the three days, 46 bands will perform on the three stages: Radio Rock Stage (main stage), Helsinki Stage (2nd outdoor stage) and Inferno Stage (inside stage in Kattilahalli). Death metallers Baest from Denmark will kick off the 21st Tuska Open Air Metal Festival on Friday, followed by the mighty Crowbar. And as legendary Finnish industrial metal band Turmion Kätilöt came back from its hiatus, they of course have to perform at Tuska. Another Finnish favorite on Friday for sure will be Moonsorrow, while Arch Enemy, Mantar and Meshuggah bring international metal power to the stage. Body Count ft. Ice T will end the first day with a blast, playing until midnight.
Saturday kicks off with a slew of Finnish bands on all stages from Tyrantti, Six Inch, Crimfall, Foreseen, Beast In Black, and Mokoma to Helsinki’s own vampires The 69 Eyes. Those who haven’t danced enough to Gothic Girl can continue the dance party with Carpenter Brut before the vibe will get a lot blacker and bleaker with Norwegian black metal masters Emperor and Hallatar, the new doom supergroup by Juho Raivio (Swallow The Sun), Tomi Joutsen (Amorphis, Sinishtra), and drummer Gas Lipstick (Dropzone, ex-HIM), who will weave a web of beautiful melancholy over Suvilahti. Kreator and Gojira will close the day on the main stage with some powerful blast beats.
On Sunday, Ishahn (Emperor) returns to the stage solo, and bands like Blind Channel, Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus, Europe and Grave Pleasures will take the audience on a wild ride between genres before Parkway Drive will end this year’s Tuska Festival. For those festival goers that want to add a bit of extra comfort to their festival experience, Tuska for the first time presents the VIP grandstand that grants a direct view of the main stage and pampers the owners of the 25 exclusive seats with its own restaurant. Festival goers can upgrade their tickets to include the grandstand (50€ for early evening concerts, 100€ for headline concerts).
The musical program is accompanied by the Solmusali discussion/alternative program during all three days where festival goers can listen to interesting panels on topics like darkness and nostalgia in metal and watch short films by Night Vision. The many bars, the ever-growing food court, the Alepa supermarket container and the indoor Black Dining à la carte restaurant make sure no one goes hungry or thirsty while the sauna tent offers a very Finnish way to refresh oneself during a long festival day.
And if all that still is not enough for you, there is the Tuska Heatseeker pre-party on Thursday, June 28 at Tavastia where Medeia and I Revolt will get the festival mood going and the festival days themselves are followed by the official Tuska afterparties in the city center. Bands like Bloodred Hourglass and Fear of Domination play at Virgin Oil Co. and the party program with DJ’s at On The Rocks will make sure the music never stops until late on Sunday where the last after party continues with Lost Society.The ticket options this year are as follows: 259 € for the three-day Turbo-VIP ticket, 129€ for a regular three-day ticket and 109€ respectively 79€ for a two or one day ticket. All information and updates can be found on http://www.tuska-festival.fi/ as well as on the Tuska app (available for iOS and Android). Three and two-day tickets can be exchanged for wristbands beforehand at Feel Vegas Helsinki (Mannerheimintie 3, 00100 Helsinki – only for festival goers over 18) or at Tiketti Galleria (Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6, 00100 Helsinki – for festival goers of all ages) from 12 noon to 6 p.m. from June 26 to 29.
