One of the most grandiose and unforgettable events in the music world of the outgoing summer, FLOW FESTIVAL HELSINKI 2022, returned to the arena after three years break. It’s s a world-famous and sustainable brand of festivals and events, based on the same fire and fuse that have always been there — great music, responsible and strong values, self-imposed art, high quality food, spectacular lighting and an ambitious and sustainable festival production.
The main partner of FLOW FESTIVAL HELSINKI 2022 was the well-known Finnish brand Lapin Kulta Pure.
The first FLOW FESTIVAL was held in 2004 by Nuspirit Helsinki in the old railway warehouses in the city center. Since 2007 festival has been organised in Suvilahti — the former power plant lot in Helsinki has created a globally unique atmosphere with its post-industrial ambience and strategic location.
FLOW MUSIC
Every year FLOW FESTIVAL developed and became more and more exciting and large-scale event, where the most popular international talents were invited. Organizers chose the name “FLOW” to convey the expanding undertone that was taking over Helsinki and to promote innovative urban development.
FLOW FESTIVAL has grown from a 4000 visitor downtown event into a 84 000 festival guest grand celebration. In its past years, FLOW FESTIVAL has had over 1600 performers, including Alicia Keys, Arctic Monkeys, Björk, Frank Ocean, Grace Jones, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Kraftwerk, Lana Del Rey and many more world of the high standing artists in the world. Among the undeniably renowned performers, there has also always been room for rising talent and new phenomena.
With the stages, technical production, audiovisuals, area and festival production growing, one thing still remains the same — ever since the first festival, the performers and the audience have been guaranteed to enjoy themselves and experience unforgettable moments.
The FLOW FESTIVAL 2022 line-up of artists is a carefully curated combination of big names in pop culture, exciting young artists, indie artists, experimental artists and international superstars. In total, about 150 performers at the festival.
The headliners of the 2022 festival were massive stars such as Gorillaz, Florence + The Macnine and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.
Created by Britpop legend Damon Albarn and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett, the virtual band Gorillaz (recognised by The Guinness Worlds Records as the most popular virtual band on the planet), came out in full force on the main stage on the opening day of the festival, thereby changing its “only virtual concept”.
The joy of the audience knew no bounds — the most popular hits of the band, accompanied by their constant animation and lighting effects, blew the hearts of fans with stormy emotions.
The whole gig was held in one breath, while the entire concert venue sang with the artists, and explosive comeback filled with more timeless hits led Friday night to burst.
Sunday most-awaited guests in face of one of the most intense and magical live acts on the planet, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds played their first shows in 4 years in festivals across Europe throughout summer 2022.
Led by the charismatic Nick Cave, band grew from a cult performers into one of the most important and popular rock stars of our time over a nearly 40-year career, gave the performance which attracts and blows the minds of any person in the crowd — accompanied by poetic, sometimes melancholic and extremely powerful music.
It seemed that everything around stopped, and goosebumps ran through the body when amazing rock ballads performed by legendary artist sounded. Nick, with his charming magic, covered all corners of the festival site, uniting artists and spectators into a single big performance lasting two hours. This grandiose show completed the three-day musical celebration.
FLOW SUSTAINABLE
An important component of FLOW FESTIVAL is the sustainability program, which guarantees the fulfillment of its obligations related to the environment and social aspects of sustainable development.
The festival is also one of the first carbon-neutral festivals in the world, the total carbon footprint of festival products, waste minimization and energy recycling are calculated annually.
FLOW CHAMPAGNE & LOUNGE
One of the sponsors of FLOW FESTIVAL HELSINKI 2022, the famous champagne brand Lanson, presented three of its blends Le Black Label Brut, Le Róse and Le Green Label Organic in two festival bars — Lanson Rosé Bar and Lanson Organic Bar.
“Lanson main mission is all about Love! Values that drive the Maison are: openness, kindness, humility, authenticity and elegance. In a world of uncertainty that becomes more and more divided each day, we’re among those who believe that the world, like happiness, is better when shared. Those who believe that love for others, is also love of life, — says Martin Nordell, HARTWALL Category Manager Wines. — At Lanson, we’re among those who believe in love — love for the soil, for the terroir, of a job well done, a sustainable love, a love of sharing, of being together, of making people happy. Since 1760, we’ve been for those who hold out a hand, who love each other, and prove it. Each in their own way, but always the most beautiful way.”
Le Black Label Brut — The Maison’s signature cuvée (Pinot Noir 50%, Chardonnay 35%, Pinot Meunier 15%) embodies Lanson style: freshness, fruitiness and vitality. The authentic style of Le Black Label Brut is crafted from a rich and diverse palette of wines that highlight the full diversity of Champagne terroir.
Le Róse — The freshness and delicate fruitiness of Le Rosé cuvée (Pinot Noir 53%, Chardonnay 32%, Pinot Meunier 15%) compliments the Maison’s historic expertise in making Rosé Champagne. With a unique pale, salmon colour and a combination of fruitiness and finesse, it stands out from other rosé Champagnes, turning into ideal aperitif for a long summer evenings and a picnics.
Le Green Label Organic (Pinot Noir 50%, Pinot Meunier 30%, Chardonnay 20%) — it reveals the very essence of the terroir and biodynamic farming, with a perfect blend of freshness, fruitiness and minerality. It is the only Champagne to have achieved every organic and biodynamic certification.
“Organic wines are getting more and more focus, not only in Champagne but all over the world. In general, people are more and more interested in what they eat and drink and organic choices are reflecting this trend. Sustainability has always been at the core of how Champagne Lanson is operating, this is reflected in the vineyard, in the winery and of course also in the final product like the Green Label, — says Martin. — It was so great to be part of the festival, It was so much fun to meet people, and once again share live experiences.”
GOLD AREA
A cozy area by POOL was organized for VIP clients of the festival, where they could relax and unwind under a tent on soft sofas, enjoy bubbles of champagne and soft drinks or have a bite to eat at the OUTRUN cafe — a specialty coffee cafe and patisserie setting a new standard in Finland.
“We specialize in plant-based baked goods and original drinks, striving for excellence and taking great care to provide experiences that appeal to all the senses and take into account every detail, — says Marko Peck, Outrun Co-Owner. — We feel that food sustainability is an increasingly relevant topic due to the important role it plays in combating climate change. A cornerstone of our concept is our focus on plant-based products due in part to their lower carbon footprint compared to traditional products. It was the first time we participated in such an event and we enjoyed it immensely and learned a lot from the experience.”
Guests could enjoy refreshing and energizing Cold-brew coffee-based drinks, specialty coffee, craft juices.
From Food — Croissants, Vegan Cupcakes, Outrun Original Pastries as well as Savory Dario Balls with various fillings.
FLOW FOOD & DRINK
The choice of restaurants at FLOW FESTIVAL HELSINKI 2022 is worthy of the highest praise, as 40 of the most interesting and creative restaurants in Helsinki took part in it, presenting their specialties and different styles to visitors. Continuing its pioneering work towards sustainability, red meat and poultry have been completely removed from the FLOW menu this year and at least one vegan option was mandatory at all corners.
Great attention was paid to the origin and ethical standards of the ingredients used, the energy efficiency of food production, packaging materials, as well as the use of local, organic and seasonal products.
The festival also featured a wide selection of wines, including organic wines, craft beers and desirable soft drink accompaniments from more than 20 Helsinki bars.
Yakitori By BRASA
BRASA restaurant has gained popularity with its open fire dishes, taking each ingredient to the next level, deepening and emphasizing its originally stunning features. Every choice a restaurant makes is driven by a passionate strive for the best possible outcome.
Adhering to “without meat” rule of the festival, BRASA presented delicious Japanese Yakitori-style dishes cooked on an open fire: Tiger prawns with teriyaki sauce, Tempura pikeperch with sweet chili sauce or Portobello with tonkatsu sauce (VE). Alongside the skewers, they served Wakame salad and Brasa’s kimchi.
“Project’s main mission was serve (not that common) japanese street food in, biggest and best festival in the whole Finland, — says Severi Lukkarinen, BRASA Co-Owner and Head Somellier. — We must stop and think about the way we are living while at the same time population is rising. Our lovely planet earth cant handle everything. Everyone should have the right to clean water and healthy food, which is why food sustainability is so important. It was a great honor and joy for us to take part in such an event — this is the best festival in Finland, as I already said, with a great atmosphere, great music, smiling people and delicious and healthy food.”
W30
W30 is a flavour journey to French–Scandinavian cuisine. The restaurant menu is built from seasonal fresh ingridients and different techniques to maximize the culinary experience.
The restaurant introduced guests to the most striking dishes of its cuisine: Härkäpapu Pate (VE), Tarte Au Fromage, Bouillabaise, Potato Lyonnaise and Lemon Tarte.
“We wanted to show off the stylish food from our restaurant at the festival as our food was a bit different from other great restaurants in my opinion, — says Simo Pietarinen, W30 Head Chef. — We adhere to the principles of sustainable development because we understand that it improves the quality of our lives, protects our ecosystem and preserves natural resources for future generations. And it’s very nice to know that sustainable development is an integral part of the festival.
This year was our first time in Flow and we had fun! Planning and preparing dishes for festivals is different from normal restaurant operations but we managed well.”
KAJO
At the heart of the KAJO practice is the courage to innovate and create something new — it’s a way to move forward. The concept of the restaurant is based on the principles of responsibility and sustainability, where no part of the ingredient goes to waste — this is what inspires the search for new ways of cooking and exploring endless culinary possibilities.
Only Vegan dishes were presented at the festival: “Xo” served grilled portobello & pickless, Potato, peas & with summer greens “ceviche”, “Around thousand flavours” punch from kaihola garden.
“Our main mission is to make people happy with awesome flavours and friendly service. We believe that food and dining can bring people together and make amazing memories, — says Marko Simunaniemi, KAJO Co-Owner. — For us, sustainability and responsibility (in all aspects) are an important cornerstone of our daily lives. Sustainability is getting more important, and many companies have (such as us) started to be more vocal and transparent when it comes on sustainability factors such as ingredients, energy and waste. We straight away said ‘yes’ when we were presented with the opportunity to be part of the FLOW 2022. The experience was really something! We made a lot of people happy, and it indeed was an experience to remember. At the same time we got to challenge ourselves and also the guests at the festivals, since we were not serving the most traditional festival food. I think we made a lot of people to appreciate charcoal grilled potatoes over french fries.”
STORY
STORY restaurants proudly present pizzadogs, which are baked with sourdough from organic 00-pizza flour from the Cranni farm, and the toppings are carefully selected from small artisan partners. Delicious and juicy pizza dogs combine international flavors and Finnish ingredients, just like the FLOW festival brings together the most interesting international performers and the surroundings of Helsinki and other cities in Finland.
“The purpose of our existence is to allow people to enjoy life. We were here to make it possible to have pleasurable moments that make a life more enjoyable, both sides of the counter, — says Hanna Riihimäki, STORY restaurants Head of Concept. — Sustainability has been at Story’s dna since the beginning. We have always co-operated with small, local producers. We use first-class ingredients and we are aiming for zero waste. FLOW FESTIVAL HELSINKI 2022 was amazing, well organized, the best Helsinki restaurant’s offering mouth watering dishes, brand music and art program and lovely people in a great mood and having fun for three days. Could not be better so we are very happy we participated.”
During the festival guests could try pizzadogs with different fillings, sauces and with herbs, like Fish Kebab and Curry dog (VE).
BUN2BUN
Vegan restaurant Bun2Bun is Finland’s first 100% vegan burger chain that serves burgers better for people, animals, the environment, and the world. 
Bun2Bun’s burgers are based on the first fully vegetable-based steak developed by Beyond Meat that looks, tastes, and behaves like a traditional burger steak. In addition, Bun2Bun’s steak is gluten-free, soy-free, and GMO-free.
During FLOW 2022, Burger-lovers could enjoy the rich flavors of BBQ & CHDR Burger (VE), Fairly Spicy Flow Burger (VE) as well as French fries produced from domestic potatoes with bioenergy.
“Our mission is to make people to eat less meat. We want to offer people a delicious alternative for food that has meat and animal products. The global warming forces us to rethink our way of eating. Growing population could be fed much more sustainably with plant based diet, — says Pasi Hassinen, Bun2Bun CEO. —This was our 8th time in Flow as a food vendor. The experience was great as always! There is no other festival like Flow. Not just the music, but the food, the art and the decor of the event.
The vision of FLOW FESTIVAL Helsinki is to become the international leader in festivals and one of the most attractive and prestigious festivals in the world. With an extensive music and arts program, hand-picked food and catering services, a thoughtfully designed and decorated festival venue, and an extensive sustainability program, FLOW FESTIVAL has set a new benchmark on the European festival scene.
Tickets for FLOW FESTIVAL 2023, which will be held on August 11-13, can already be purchased on the festival website.
FLOW FESTIVAL
Instagram: @flowfestivalhelsinki
Text: Marina Timo
Photo courtesy: EATWEEKGUIDE
