Tuska Open Air Metal Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary during the weekend.
When the first Tuska was arranged in a club setting at Tavastia in Helsinki in July 1988, and attracted about 1,600 people, last year the event pulled together a crowd of about 28,000 headbangers to Helsinki’s Suvilahti district, turning it to one of the most popular festivals in the country.
What’s the reason behind its success? The relaxed atmosphere. The no-bullshit attitude. Delicious food and smoky saunas. When I attended the festival in its current form for the first time in 2015, I didn’t see a single drunken troublemaker, nor did I witness any aggressive behavior. All the aggression, if there was any, was transferred through the music and moshing. Especially moshing.
Visiting Tuska for three days was like visiting abroad: I saw Swedes, Brits, Germans, and got acquainted with lovely a group of Swiss people who became my “Tuska family.” We met last year as well.
This year, Finland Today was invited to film in the backstage of the festival, and we got to speak with the CEO of the organization, Eeka Mäkynen.
We will bring you a full reportage of the year’s celebration as well. Meanwhile, enjoy the video, and last but not least:
Happy 20th anniversary, Tuska festival!
Tuska at Suvilahti, Helsinki 30.6.-2.7.2017.
Headliners include HIM, Mastodon, Amorphis and Sabaton.