When you think of Helsinki what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s the city’s design-centric outlook as demonstrated by its architectural diversity or the world-renowned drinking water – a clear marker of the high quality of life the Finnish Capital. Or maybe it’s the obvious one, hitting the sauna, of which there are many dotted around the city (more on that later).
In actual fact, something that should be vying for your attention is Flow Festival, the city’s premier music event that has been running in the Finnish Capital since 2004 – which pairs everything that makes Helsinki great with an A-List programme of music and arts that has seen the likes of Björk, Kendrick Lamar, and Frank Ocean make the journey to the ‘‘White City of the North’.
This year’s edition, the penultimate at its current unique setting within a former power plant in the graffiti-covered Suvilahti district, promised more of the same – with a packed weekend full of emerging local and international talent, as well as some 5-star headliners.
Read on as we break down 5 things you need to know about Flow Festival:
1) An international lineup: Flow has historically been known for it’s its diverse and genre-spanning music lineup, and this year was no different with a range of stellar acts from around the world over the three days.
Friday saw Kelela present some expansive live remixes of her latest album ‘Raven’, London experimental darlings Jockstrap showcased new music and Afrobeats superstar Wizkid hit the mainstage with a hugely energetic headline set.
On Saturday, London DJ Jyoty delivered an eclectic and vibrant set in the early evening, and Pusha T brought his brand of luxury rap to the Finnish capital before New Zealand’s greatest pop export Lorde unveiled 2 new tracks during her headline set.
To round things off on Sunday, Caroline Polachek demonstrated her ethereal vocals and impeccable on-stage choreography, whilst Sudan Archives gave a typically captivating and experimental performance before Britpop legends Blur closed off the festival with a huge grin on their faces as they rattled through their classic hits and new material.
2) Spotlighting local talent: It wasn’t just the big international acts who stole the spotlight at Flow – several Finnish acts took centre stage, whether it was Helsinki-based BIPOC queer party collective Club U-Haul taking over X Garden on Friday night or Siilinjärvi rapper Sexmane’s autotune-abundant, energy-raising set at the Silver Arena on Sunday afternoon.
3) Touch… concrete: Since 2007, Flow Festival has been held in the historic Suvilahti area of Helsinki, a former gas and power plant area in which is made up of nine buildings and two imposing, yet eye-catching gasholders that feel like a symbol of the festival after 3 days at the site. The backdrop gave a distinct atmosphere to the event, with the post-industrial aesthetic a perfect match for its future-facing lineup and ethos – plus no grass means no mud on your sneakers, which is always a plus!
4) Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword: Whilst it’s always questionable just how sustainable any event that involves mass consumption and energy usage over a short and intense period, it genuinely feels like the organisers of Flow Festival’s well-thought-out efforts are not in vain. Their strong commitment to being as eco-friendly as possible was evident with red meat and poultry banned from food stand menus, multiple recycling options for waste at all times plus a recycling system that saw visitors get €1 back for each tin and glass bottle returned.
5) Go beyond Suvilahti: Seasoned festival vets will know that the downtime away from the site is just as important – fear not as there is plenty to do in the Finnish capital before and after the party. For starters, there’s Vanha Kirkkopuisto Square or Temppeliaukio Church which are both perfect for some chill time, or take it a step further by hopping on a boat out to one of over 330 islands surrounding the city – all ripe for sight-seeing and maybe even a swim. For the ultra brave – consider visiting the world’s most public sauna; Sompasauna – which is open 24 hours a day and just a short walk from the festival site – perfect for exorcising those toxins!