Event organiser Kalle Keskinen charged with aggravated fraud, denies wrongdoing

Finnish event promoter Kalle Keskinen, CEO of Loud’n Live Promotions Oy, has been formally charged with aggravated fraud in South Ostrobothnia District Court, according to a company statement released Monday. Keskinen denies the allegations.

The charges relate to unpaid copyright royalties owed to Teosto, Finland’s music copyright organisation, between 2015 and 2022. Teosto claims the company intentionally withheld payments totalling over €160,000, but Keskinen disputes both the deliberate nature of the non-payment and the amount.

In his response, Keskinen argues that Teosto’s calculations failed to account for dozens of cancelled events—including those scrapped during the coronavirus pandemic—whose ticket revenues were refunded to customers. He attributes the unpaid sum primarily to “incompetence” and excessive workload among himself and former staff at the time, adding that the company had sought an amicable settlement.

Loud’n Live Promotions entered corporate restructuring in 2023 but states it has since fulfilled all obligations, including a €208,000 payment to Teosto in 2025. The ongoing legal process will not affect the company’s 2026 festival lineup, which includes Vauhtiajot, Helsinki City Festival, Downtown Calling, Tampere City Festival, and Tapiola Festivaali, according to the statement.