First acts announced!

The first wave of artists for next summer’s best weekend is here – nine brilliant additions to kick off the season, with plenty more still to come!

Set to take over Joensuu’s iconic Laulurinne next summer, Ilosaarirock will welcome Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter (UK) – a punk super-formation built around original Sex Pistols members Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock, joined by vocalist Frank Carter.

Formed in 1975, Sex Pistols remain one of the most influential bands in music history – a catalytic force whose anarchic legacy still shakes the world. And now, almost 50 years after the release of their first and only studio album, a brand-new chapter is being written.

But make no mistake: Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter is no nostalgia reunion act. This refreshed, but not reinvented lineup is a full-blooded, snarling, ferocious punk band. Their Ilosaarirock show promises nothing less than a wild, sweat-soaked frenzy of riffs, roar and raw energy.

Alongside this punk pioneer, Ilosaarirock’s fresh announcements also feature Auri, making their domestic festival-stage debut next summer; metal powerhouse Beast In Black, gearing up for the release of their fourth album; rising pop-folk duo emma & matilda; one of the year’s most exciting new rock names HOKKA; schlager favorites Komiat, bringing the best summer dance vibes to Laulurinne; KUUMAA, one of Finland’s most popular and most streamed bands; the long-awaited return of Vesala to her solo project, and etnopop innovator Vilma Jää, breathing fresh life into traditional Finnish folk.

"We’re kicking off Ilosaarirock’s lineup announcements with a classic, colourful mix, very much our style. Today’s names are just a glimpse of what’s ahead, but the season has officially begun. It’s now perfectly acceptable to start longing for summer… even if the holiday season isn’t over yet," our promoter Panu grins.

And alongside the promise of summer, Panu gives festival-goers permission to look forward to our next programme updates, which will arrive later in December. Ilosaarirock’s lineup will continue to grow through multiple announcements over the winter and spring, with more than 60 artists set to perform in total.