Finland’s Suomipop festival offers unique balcony views for residential audience
This week, the Suomipop festival is being celebrated in Jyväskylä and Oulu, Finland. An unusual feature of the event in Jyväskylä is that concerts can also be watched from the balconies of nearby buildings. The festival is held in the residential area of Lutakko, which is centrally located near the harbor and city center.
For example, Jani Karlsson and Valtteri Riihimäki from Espoo plan to enjoy the shows specifically from a balcony. They didn’t buy tickets to the event, but instead rented an apartment with a balcony right next to the main stage. “We have the best view of the stage, there’s no need to go to the venue at all,” says Karlsson.
Riihimäki prefers watching the gigs from inside the apartment because he can enjoy his own drinks and relax.
The event is organized by Nelonen Media Live. According to production manager Anniina Havukainen, this phenomenon is not seen elsewhere in Finland like it is in Jyväskylä. Nelonen Media Live organizes events all over Finland, but in other cities, there are no residences as close to the event area.
Havukainen states that they cannot interfere with people watching from their balconies as it would infringe on their privacy. However, she hopes that the balcony audience will celebrate sensibly and safely.
Even though those watching the concerts from their balconies may not have bought tickets, the performers take them into account. Havukainen says that the performers send greetings especially to those with signs or balloons. “The performers acknowledge in their stage announcements that there’s a VIP audience on the balconies. They send all kinds of messages, like ‘Happy Birthday’ and so on,” says Havukainen.