Tuska Open Air 2024

About:
Tuska Open Air is a renowned heavy metal music festival held in Helsinki, Finland. It is one of the largest metal festivals in Northern Europe and has been a prominent event in the metal music scene since its inception in 1998.

The festival is typically held over three days, usually in June or July, and features a diverse lineup of both Finnish and international metal bands. Tuska Open Air showcases various subgenres of metal, including but not limited to death metal, black metal, thrash metal, power metal, and melodic metal.

Famous For:
The festival aims to provide an immersive and memorable experience for artists and audiences.

Creation Purpose:
The founder of Tuska Open Air is Eeka Mäkynen. He founded the festival intending to create a dedicated platform for metal music in Finland. Eeka Mäkynen, being a metal fan himself, recognized the growing popularity of metal music in the country and saw the need for a festival to showcase local and international metal acts.

Fun Facts:
"Tuska" is a Finnish word that translates to "agony" or "torment" in English. The name was chosen to reflect the intense and powerful nature of metal music.

For many years, Tuska Open Air was held in the Kaisaniemi Park located in the center of Helsinki. However, in 2022, the festival moved to a new location called Suvilahti, an industrial area that provides more space and improved facilities for the event.

In 2013, Jan Vapaavuori, who later became the mayor of Helsinki, attended Tuska Open Air as a fan and was spotted headbanging in the crowd. His presence and support demonstrated the festival's influence and popularity even among notable figures.

In 2016, Tuska Open Air achieved its highest attendance record to date, with over 37,000 visitors during the three-day festival. The event's popularity has continued to grow, attracting metal fans from Finland and around the world.

Impact on the Music Industry:
Tuska Open Air has been instrumental in promoting and elevating the Finnish metal scene.