Finland

Ilosaarirock Festival adds more than 20 new acts

Posted by Andy on

New names include SUNRISE AVENUE, ALMA, JESS GLYNNE, ARCHITECTS, PERTURBATOR, MONO and PALE WAVES.

The biggest rock band from Finland, SUNRISE AVENUE, is coming to Ilosaarirock Festival for the first time ever! The hugely popular combo regularly perform at sold-out stadium venues across Europe, but are rarely seen playing in Finland. The Ilosaarirock gig is the only festival show Sunrise Avenue will perform in Finland during summer 2019. Another expected visitor is Finland’s hottest export since the Nokia phone, aka ALMA. The international pop sensation, known for her explosive hits Karma, Dye My Hair and Chasing Highs, will bring her unapologetic live show to Joensuu, just a couple of months after the release of her debut album.

Grammy-awarded singer-songwriter JESS GLYNNE has released only two albums during her years in the spotlight but has already achieved seven No. 1 singles in the British charts – more than any other female artist in history. Glynne mixes classic soul with catchy pop melodies and delivers songs with her incredible voice.

ARCHITECTS, the eminent British metalcore combo, are finally coming to Finland after a painstakingly long wait. Winners of the Best British Live Act Award, Architects play their raspingly furious music with mathematical precision. Their eighth album Holy Hell, released in 2018, shot up the charts like a bullet, and was chosen as the album of the year by many heavy metal critics.

CHEAT CODES are comprised of three talented DJs from Los Angeles, who are on a journey to stardom after wowing crowds with one EDM hit after another. Cheat Codes released their debut single in 2015 and have been moving people on dance floors ever since.

Synthwave pioneer PERTURBATOR went on to create a whole new genre of music that draws its inspiration from cyberpunk, 80s video games and science fiction. His music transports listeners to a Blade Runner-like world and dance floors at sold-out gigs are heaving with a curious mixture of morose metal heads, electro-industrially-minded dance enthusiasts and cyborged computer nerds.

Hailing from Manchester, the Mecca of modern indie music, PALE WAVES released their debut album, My Mind Makes Noises, in September 2018 and instantly caused a stir in the global music scene. This summer they are bringing their world tour to Finland for the first time, and visitors to Ilosaarirock will get a taste of Pale Waves and their soul-soothing melodies.

For decades, MONO has been at the forefront of the post-rock scene and enjoyed the unconditional appreciation of both critics and fans. In 2019 MONO are celebrating their 20th anniversary, and have just released their 10th album Nowhere Now Here. The new album is even more self-assured and ambitious than its predecessors and can be described as a journey in experimentation and texture.

New Finnish acts include special shows by singer-songwriter SAMULI PUTRO and hard rockers VIIKATE and JVG, ELLIPS, PARIISIN KEVÄT, PÄÄ KII, SWALLOW THE SUN, HENRIK!, J. KARJALAINEN, LXANDRA, OLAVI UUSIVIRTA, RICKY-TICK BIG BAND & JULKINEN SANA, GASELLIT, JUKKA NOUSIAINEN, KYNNET, PAULIINA KOKKONEN, SANNI and STAM1NA.