Pori Jazz faces attendance crisis as festival reports significant losses in Finland

Pori Jazz required a standout performance this year. What it faced instead was a significant drop in attendance, becoming a hot topic in the city. Images of the half-empty festival grounds circulated widely on social media, raising eyebrows, including that of Helsingin Sanomat, which noted the lack of attendees at the Pet Shop Boys concert.

CEO Sampsa Jolma admitted that losses will be unavoidable following the festival weekend, which only attracted a total of 32,000 visitors over three days. Although Jolma stated that attendance “returned to a normal level,” the assessment was notably ambiguous. Historical data from the organization indicates that 2024 could be among the weakest years of the millennium.

The financial situation for the organizing association, Pori Jazz 66 ry, looks increasingly dire. Over the past two years, cumulative losses reached 840,000 euros, leaving approximately 420,000 euros after last year. The impact of falling attendance on the association’s bottom line remains uncertain, as details on income from beverage sales are lagging.

Last year, Robbie Williams drew a full house, but ticket revenues did not cover expenses. In 2023, the festival reported 61,500 attendees and incurred a loss of 373,000 euros. In comparison, 2022 saw 38,000 attendees, resulting in a loss of 464,000 euros. Adjustments would have placed 2023’s budget deficit close to half a million euros based on the lower attendance forecasts.

Next year marks the 58th edition of Pori Jazz, postponed due to the pandemic. Without changes, the festival may struggle to survive another disappointing summer.