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Pori Jazz festival faces uncertain future amid declining ticket sales and ongoing speculations

Wednesday 24th 2024 on 09:02 in  
Finland

Speculation about the future of the Pori Jazz festival has intensified following the jazz events held in July. This surge of discussion is attributed to nearly halved ticket sales compared to last year, with only 32,000 attendees purchasing tickets for this summer’s main concerts. Media and various social media platforms have been questioning why this year’s jazz festival attracted fewer visitors and what the future holds for the event.

Tupuna Kangas-Männistö, the daughter of the late Jyrki Kankaan, founder of Pori Jazz 66 ry, has openly expressed her views. She suggests that changes are needed in the festival’s governing body, although she refrains from naming specific individuals. Kangas-Männistö, a member of the association, believes that at least a few board members should be replaced to introduce fresh ideas.

Despite the ticket sales drop, Kangas-Männistö feels that this year’s festival went well, commending new CEO Sampsa Jolma for his efforts and hoping he maintains the same approach in the future.

Pori Jazz 66 ry’s chairman, Timo Santavuo, does not wish to comment on Kangas-Männistö’s perspective but acknowledges the disappointing turnout this year. He admits that securing artists for this year’s lineup was particularly challenging and concedes that their choices may not have been optimal.

Corporate sales for the festival have also declined, but Santavuo does not believe that businesses have abandoned Pori Jazz. He suggests that tough economic conditions may have impacted the number of sponsors. He anticipates that this year’s festival will result in a financial loss, marking the third consecutive year of deficits, with cumulative losses amounting to nearly €840,000 in 2022 and 2023. However, he maintains that the situation, while difficult, is not insurmountable.

Source 
(via yle.fi)