What’s all about - being an Austrian at an Finnish festival
I was asked to write about how I see a festival here in beautiful Finland with the eye of a foreign person.
Well, as I’m already staying here in this country for some months I’ve observed already a few things before the official start of Ilosaarirock.
One thing is that Joensuu itself seems to be changed completely. I experienced how the town is while the long dark and cold wintertime. One couldn’t imagine that it can be also a place like it’s this weekend.
Now there seems to be some kind of festival-vibe in the air - Finns are smiling and people from all over the country are streaming to town. You can really feel that it’s summertime now.
For me it looks like as if almost everybody is taking part in the festival - either with being an ‘official’ visitor or just with hanging around and drinking in the surrounding areas of Ilosaarirock.
As festivals in Austria or Middle Europe in general are more or less isolated from the ‘normal’ life you can meet here the happy festival folks all over the town. I was used that festivals and their visitors are more or less locked somewhere in the woods, at racing rinks or in industrial areas. So going to a shop at a festival in my home country often means like walking 12 km just to reach the next shop or get some new drinks. Guess, Finns are pretty lucky with their festivals here . . .
Another thing is that this festival is so big compared to its seize and population. It feels as if Joensuu gains something like half of its people just for one weekend and still everything seems to be really relaxed and easy.going.
Text: Katharina Mörtl