Tuska Festival 2024 Recap
By Kai Lukander
Tuska Festival 2024 took place from June 28-30 in Suvilahti, Helsinki, with a record-breaking attendance of over 60,000 metal fans across three days. The event featured a stellar lineup on multiple stages, a festival map upgrade, expanded side attractions, and exclusive activities.
Day-by-Day Overview
Day 1: Friday, June 28
The festival kicked off with high-energy performances led by Pendulum and Norwegian black metal icons Dimmu Borgir. Slayer’s Kerry King gave a memorable set alongside fan-favorites like Alestorm, known for their pirate-themed metal, and experimental metal group Zeal & Ardor. Local bands like Bloodred Hourglass also drew a strong following, embodying Finnish melodic death metal traditions.
Day 2: Saturday, June 29
Bring Me The Horizon headlined to a record-setting audience of 23,000. Other Finnish mainstays like Amorphis and Sonata Arctica captivated the crowd with their blend of folk and power metal. Tarot, featuring Nightwish’s Marco Hietala, brought heavy riffs, while Danish band Vola added a progressiveedge. The Saturday lineup showcased death metal bands like Devourment on the Radio City Stage and dark sounds from Health, adding to the day’s intense atmosphere
Day 3: Sunday, June 30
The final day was led by Parkway Drive and Opeth, combining metalcore breakdowns with progressive rock elements. Stratovarius and Brothers of Metal brought speed and Viking metal sounds, while other notable acts included Icelandic singer Eivør. This family-friendly day included “Tiny Tuska,” a section for young fans to experience the festival with parental accompaniment Stage Layout and Programming Tuska’s site layout in Suvilahti featured new attractions and updated stage setups. The Karhu Main Stage hosted the largest acts, while the Radio City Stage expanded with increased capacity to hold sets by Warmen, Suburban Tribe, and Kaunis Kuolematon. The Open Air II Stage, newly renamed, saw packed audiences for performances by Stratovarius and Turmion Kätilöt. Additionally, the KVLT Stage by Inferno magazine gave a platform to rising artists, many of whom had worked at previous Tuska festivals as part of the KVLT community program Side Attractions and Cultural Highlights
In addition to music, Tuska offered a variety of side attractions that celebrated metal’s culture. Tuska Expo included tattooing, piercing, and performance art, while the Tuska Forum hosted discussions on metal’s influence in video gaming and other media. The forum, led by podcast host Kiki from Bleeding Metal, featured panels on the music industry, life on tour, and genre development.
The interactive Tuska Sideshow brought together performers in an installation that allowed fans to engage with the festival’s darker themes, complete with fortune telling and a wheel of misfortune. Nina Mamia’s performance installation Hahtuva/Fluff was also a crowd favorite, named after the soft “grandmother hair” look Food, Amenities, and Future Plans The food court was expanded with more options and covered dining spaces, catering to a wider range of tastes and dietary preferences. Bars throughout the grounds offered an array of Finnish and international drinks to accompany the event’s culinary choices.
Tuska 2025 was announced for June 27-29, 2025, with early bird tickets available immediately after the festival’s close. This edition further solidified Tuska’s reputation as one of the most anticipated metal festivals in Europe, continually innovating and expanding its offerings for a global audience.