TUSKA Festival 2026

Dänu
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Before we head to the main part of every festival, the music, let’s have a look at the festival area. The layout with the stages was, as for last year, unchanged. The Karhu Main Stage next to the iconic gasometer structure, the tent or Radio City Stage close to the entrance, and the Nordic Energy Stage in the south of the area. In the buildings in the middle was as usual the Kvlt Stage. New on the other hand was the TUSKA Store area on the left side of the Kvlt Stage. In the prior years, this was in one of the big halls, where I think it was a better fit. The hall was now another place that became a bar area. Speaking of shopping: In the same area as the little market stands, there was also a TUSKA merch tent as well as a dedicated Bad Omens booth, where you could cover all your merchandise needs.
The media area got a downgrade as well and went from a solid concrete building to a tent. For me it was ok, although a little hot, but for the people who did interviews, I think it was quite a challenge, when the Nordic stage was played.

Also worth mentioning was the graveyard area. Especially on Sunday, the Pikku TUSKA, where parents could bring their kids to the festival. In this part, there was a little scavenger hunt, where you had to find small figurines between gravestones. Fun for the whole family!

Friday and Saturday were sold out, with 23 000 people each, and with the 20 000 visitors on Sunday a well visited Festival after all. And that brings us to the music. In total 63 groups performed over those three days. While the majority were national acts, we got to see bands from the US, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Australia, and Switzerland.
When the lineup consists of so many entries, there are always new things to discover and surprises. One of those was Aurorawave from Italy. Entering the stage, everything looked like Metalcore, until they started playing. Reggae was the sound I least expected. But it was very groovy and the audience liked them. Lost Society rocked the main stage shortly after. They were solid, but I enjoyed them in a smaller setting at Nummirock a little more.
Loudness from Japan was probably one of the oldest bands in the lineup, but that does not mean anything in terms of energy!
A band I really wanted to see was Kneel Before the Death. Finnish deathcore and an amazing live band that I could see last week. This time, no chance. The queue to get into the Kvlt stage was so long, most of the queues, probably never saw a minute of the set. I hope they find a place on the outdoor stages next time.

At 19:15 a hard decision had to be made. Bloodred Hourglass or Skindred? Melodic death or Groovy ragga metal?
I went for the groove and did not regret it. This band is just so much fun!

The rest of the day was basically Megadeth. While it was ok, I feel you could tell that these guys were not so energetic anymore as I remembered them. For me it was just fine, but most of the other 22 999 visitors assembled in front of the main stage to celebrate one of the big 4 in full.

Friday started with Melrose Avenue from Down Under. And entering the photo pit, I was surprised to see almost exclusively women in the front row. After the band started, I could see why that was. The singer was shirtless, covered in tattoos and according to the evidence quite handsome.

Majestica from Sweden played classic power / heavy metal and you could see that they got a little bit inspired by Hammerfall, and yet still managed to create their own identity. Also this was the first band that day that had some fire effects. Not hard to win me over with that.
Dogma was a band I was curious to see. And despite the visual offerings, the audience had a good gender mix this time around. While the show was very entertaining, the audio problems, especially the vocals, kept it from being an awesome show. No technical issues on the other hand had the next artist on the same stage, Rivers of Nihil. Quite the opposite. The mix was so well, and the band played so precisely, it was hard to distinguish from the recordings. Great song selection and my favorite show of this year’s festival.
Another band to mention was Trivium. While they attracted a large crowd, the show itself was a little bleak. No effects or stage design. The setlist consisted mostly of songs from older Albums, with just one song from the most recent release. Well, not too hard, since they have not released a new album for 5 years.

And last but definitely not least, Bad Omens. To be honest, I never really listened to them, but I almost recognized every song. They just like to slip into my auto-playlists. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take any photos, therefore, no gallery. As to be expected for the headliner, we got a lot of fire, light effects and a pit, filled to the brim. Speaking of the pit; This year the simple red light, that indicated if you can go into the pit area, got replaced by big screens with “Pit is full” or “Enter the pit”. 

Day three started with many tired looking metalheads entering the area, but that did not stop them from running for the best spot at the fence of the main stage. Said fence got a little bit more real estate, since the straight stage design had an extending middle section. On this day I also managed to check out the forum and listen to one of the many talks. This is a “stage” I like to visit more often, but in the best case, you miss one band, in the worst three.

Band highlights of the day for me were Stam1na, because they are always fun, Tarot, who I listened to about 10 years ago and still rocking and of course, Bring me the Horizon.
It is unfortunately often the case that the headline has some restrictions. This time only 7 photographers were allowed. We were chosen among others like the Helsinki newspaper. I felt quite honored and would like to use this opportunity to thank all who were involved in that decision. Especially also you, who consumes our content and spreads the word. Thank you!
The show was super dynamic. They had many real time effects on the screens and an immersive storytelling between and with the songs. While we were allowed to shoot the first three songs, the pit was very intense during the first minutes. Down from the sky we got rain and paper confetti, a lot of smoke, strobe lights and it was hard to see anything. What a blast!
During Antivist, they got a fan on stage to sing with them, and he delivered. Another thing I liked was how frontman Oli interacted with the audience. For the song Drown, he went into the photopit, and took some (video)selfies with the fans in the first row, while the people in the back could see these emotional moments on the screens. The huge screens changed with almost every song and matched the rest of the visuals perfectly.
They ended their set with a classic one, Throne and after that  many happy TUSKA visitors turned to the exits.

Sometimes during those days some of the next year’s bands got announced. Lorna Shore, Children of Bodom, Heaven Shall Burn, Kanonenfieber, Fox Lake, Gaerea, Avralize and Sinizter. Normally that happens on the last day, but it looks like someone could not wait anymore. Not surprising with those names…

My verdict for the almost sold out show is very positive. Although for me, the lineup was quite weak, it still had some surprises and kept me entertained during these three days. Also it is always great to go there and meet old and new friends, while listening to great bands and having expensive (25€!), but very good pizza.

Sami
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This is my review for Tuska 2026. First, I need to admit that I had some mixed views on the program. On one hand, there were bands that I was waiting for quite excitedly, like Paleface Swiss and Kublai Khan TX, but I’ve never been a Megadeth fan and the Bring Me The Horizon / Bad Omens combo seemed a bit… well, we’ve seen this before? Or well, last time Bad Omens cancelled, so in a way I guess it was fresh, like the youngsters would say here in Finland?

All in all, Tuska weekend is one of the highlights of my year and I was totally excited to go, take some photos, meet good friends, and drink way too expensive beer (12.90€ for a Karhu, you gotta be kidding me; even though it’s the best commercial beer here in Finland, it doesn’t mean „premium“).

Day 1

So, the first act for me was Gatecreeper, and even though they were a bit new to me, I had already built up some excitement. Lately, I’ve been dwelling totally into Death Metal, and Gatecreeper did not disappoint. I wonder why they’ve lived under my radar, but thank you Tuska for raising them up to my playlists. And hey, for the first act of the day, the award for the best mustache on Friday definitely goes to the singer, Chase „Hellhammer“ Mason!

Next, I headed up to the Radio City Stage to see Awake Again from Finland. Another band that I’ve never seen before. Boy, did they seem to have fun on stage! The audience knew what was coming, the band played with smiles on their faces, and the whole show was full of energy. I guess they operate in the modern metal field with some alternative influences. Like one or two years ago, I would have been super stoked about Awake Again, but now it felt a bit boring for me. But the audience loved it, and the boys were total pros with an amazingly good attitude. I always love seeing bands having fun on stage!

On the main stage, Lost Society started to build up their show, and I had a small grin on my face when I realized that the intro was Samuel L. Jackson’s „Ezekiel quote“ from Pulp Fiction. Well, I love Pulp Fiction and I like Lost Society, so let’s not make that an issue. Lost Society has always had a good relationship with Tuska. I’ve seen them play live a lot of times, and they never disappoint, even with a Samuel L. Jackson intro. They played a good amount of the „greatest hits“ and some of the new songs that I wasn’t so familiar with. I must admit they sounded way better live.

I needed to leave a bit early as I was scheduled to shoot Ensiferum on the Nordic Energy stage. They were super professional and the fans liked it. Everyone had fun; the band had fun. This kind of music is not quite up my alley, but I appreciate the effort they put into the looks and the energy. Most of the time, though, I was waiting for the next act, which was Kneel Before The Death on the KVLT stage. I have a deep hate-love relationship with the KVLT stage. The bands there are amazing, but as I am old, grumpy, and Finnish, I hate when it’s too packed, sweaty, and… yuck. But KBTD delivered. It was brutal as hell, and I really wish they would have played on the Radio City Stage. But maybe next year?

Speaking of the Radio City Stage, another very familiar band was about to play. Bloodred Hourglass has a good following here in Finland, and the boys from Mikkeli did not disappoint. I am not a huge fan of Finnish melodic Death Metal. I prefer my Death as brutal and hard as it comes, and I think BRHG operates right in that field. BRHG always sounds super good, but the show itself could use a little more energy or some juice, as it is pretty much about Jaredi Koukonen kneeling down on the ego-riser and the other guys just standing around the stage. But maybe they just let the music do the talking!

Speaking of Finnish melodic death metal, I switched artists with Dan and ended up seeing Warmen. Warmen is loved by the Finnish metal scene, as it has in a way tried to fill the space Children of Bodom left. Now, I will be crucified after writing this, but I’ve never been a COB nor a Warmen fan. It was my second time seeing them live and actually, I can’t name a single song by Warmen. But what I can say is that they delivered their type of music with a lot of passion and love. Also, you need to give a huge shout-out to Petri Lindroos, who was on stage with Ensiferum just a few hours ago. Talk about a passion for music!

Last but not least, it was time for MEGADETH. Angry Dave and his fellowship of thrash metal guitar heroes were warmly welcomed in Finland. The sold-out Tuska Festival packed in front of the main stage to cheer for Dave Mustaine and, of course, the Finnish national treasure, Teemu Mäntysaari. It is hard to believe that it was the first time Teemu played in Finland with Megadeth, but I am glad he had the chance to do so. Well played, Dave, well played. Finland has had some problems getting bigger bands here, as we seem to live at the end of the world, but Megadeth came. What is kind of cool to realize is that they didn’t play in Stockholm, Oslo, or Estonia; I believe the next show was in Istanbul, so maybe it was a bit of a gesture to Teemu to bring Megadeth to Finland. The show itself felt a bit routine. The band was playing super well, they are professionals, and all the songs you needed to hear were there. Now I can cross one of the Big Four off my list. Like Slayer, I seem to catch them right at the finish line. So… just to let you guys know, I’ve never seen Metallica.

Day 2

Day two was the main day for me! I was super stoked to see Paleface Swiss and Kublai Khan TX. Btw, why did both of these bands have a country or state in their name, and why was there a second band from TX that I was waiting for? Well, before those, I needed to catch some other bands, and the first one on the list was Balance Breach from… wait a minute, Mikkeli once again? It seems that Texas and Mikkeli were the things in my Tuska 2026. Okay, but so I’ve seen BB a few times before this, and they have the Metalcore thingy well in their hands. It is always nice to see a band evolve, and BB has done that. They truly are a modern metal force to acknowledge in Finland.

Next up for me was Hokka. I must admit that I had not heard any songs from them or him before, and I did not have high hopes. I knew his earlier band from Eurovision, but that’s it. At one point they were a big deal here in Finland, but I never listened to them. The show started with another Tarantino tribute, as the intro was Nancy Sinatra’s Bang Bang! Lost Society and Hokka are making a tour together, so… maybe they have some kind of Tarantino thing going on there? When it comes to the show, I can really see why there are so many hardcore fans of Hokka. The songs play on these arena-style themes, they try to be super big, and there is a wind machine in front of the singer. What else do you need? Catchy tunes, high emotions, and a wind blower is a recipe for success. But not for me, though. However, the show was super professional, and the band played well. Hokka really seemed to enjoy what he was doing, and the fans had a good time! That’s always a good sign.

I quickly headed to the Radio City Stage to see Swallow the Sun. They have been around for a while, and you could tell. Such a bunch of pros doing their thing. I guess Swallow the Sun is a doom band with some death influences, and I can really understand why us Finns love it so much. Great show! But I needed to get ready for The Plot in You.

The Plot in You was performing on the main stage. They are from Ohio, US, and they operate in the field of modern metal or post-hardcore. I knew the band but had never actually given them a chance. The problem with bands like The Plot in You is that they might start to sound like every other post-hardcore/metalcore band, and they kind of melt together. But on stage… no, The Plot in You took their space. I ended up really liking the show. It kind of reminded me of last year’s Knocked Loose, but maybe in a tad more radio-friendly way. The singer, Landon Tewers, really controlled the show with attitude and stage presence. I really like bands who don’t need huge props but just have a plain attitude. Great show that made me stay around for the whole set, until it was time to run to the Nordic Energy stage for another new acquaintance.

It was the first time I’ve ever heard about The Funeral Portrait, but hopefully not the last. They had a super energetic show, and they gave me some good old 2000s Billy Talent and My Chemical Romance vibes with some pop-punk influences. Really a fun band with a great attitude! There were not so many people seeing the show, as maybe the core audience is not there for this kind of music, but those who were had a good time!

I quickly ran to the KVLT stage to see Kallomäki. Every year Tuska has some artists that play around with folk elements, and they tend not to disappoint. It was totally the same with Kallomäki. The KVLT stage was packed, and the show was… well, it was interesting. They really could have used a bigger stage. Maybe the Radio City Stage next time? I think there were like seven or eight performers on the little stage, so it was packed, but it worked, and the folk elements combined with rock and metal influences worked really well. If they are nearby you, give them a chance.

OK! So it was time for my Main Event number 1: PALEFACE SWISS! I had fallen in love with the band earlier and I was stoked about the show. And boy, they did not disappoint! The circle pits were rolling, and I believe it was the first time ever in my history that there were two pits at the Nordic Energy Stage! The whole field was packed, and I really think they could have performed on the main stage, but I tend to like the smaller stage, so I am happy that they didn’t. The Finnish metal folks got their well-earned respect from the singer Zelli, and we got a good setlist that included all the „best songs“. I believe that the opening song was „I Am a Cursed One“ and it was followed by „Hatred“, so you can’t go wrong with that! They only had one hour, which for me was a bit sad, but hopefully we’ll get them back here in Finland ASAP. And yes, in the encore, they played my favorite song, „Let Me Sleep“! Finland and I need more from Paleface Swiss. My energy was super high and my heart was pumping after the show, and I had one hour before the next favorite of mine took over the Nordic Energy Stage.

When I read that Kublai Khan TX was performing at Tuska, I might have shouted a bit because I was so excited. For so long I have been wanting to see them live, and now it is going to happen! Damn, so cool. I was a bit afraid of whether the band was well-known here in Finland, as it is more of a beatdown hardcore band and the scene is not so big here. But we Finns did our homework, and the crowd showed up. And when they opened with „Darwinism“, everyone knew what they were here for! Brutal beatdowns, tons of breakdowns, and low-tuned guitars with raspy vocals that make you feel so angry and yet so relaxed at the same time. The guys from Kublai Khan seemed to be super down-to-earth and friendly, and they really seemed to appreciate the Finnish metal attitude. And us Finns, we loved Kublai Khan! The award for the best mustache on Saturday goes to the singer, Matt Honeycutt. Tuska really nailed the playing time, as 21:25 was just the perfect time to start the show. The golden sun took over the stage, and it was a wonderful mixture of a lovely and brutal atmosphere. I really hope that Kublai Khan will come back to Finland in the coming years. If they are near you, don’t miss them.

Monkey see, monkey do, so who the fuck made you?

Saturday was full of pleasant surprises and wonderful artists that really lived up to expectations! Tuska nailed it once again.

Day 3

So, day three is always a tough one. First, it’s the last day and you are sort of sad that all the fun is going to end. Then on the other hand, if you are over 40 like me, your body is starting to hope that it will end as fast as it could. But I had a hunch that the first band of day three would wake me up, and well, they didn’t disappoint.

Neckbreakker is a fairly new Danish Death Metal band. As mentioned earlier, I love the new upcoming of old-school death metal, and Neckbreakker brought just that! Imagine what Morbid Angel or Entombed would have sounded like if they had been formed in 2020, and there you have Neckbreakker! For some reason, they only had a 30-minute slot, which was utterly wrong, as they really would have deserved a better time and a full hour. But maybe next time. Neckbreakker just released their record Within the Viscera, which I highly recommend listening to. Go and see the show. Also, kudos to the singer Christoffer Kofoed for the best mustache on Sunday!

The next act for me was Stam1na, who was playing on the main stage. Boy, I was surprised when I headed up to take some photos. The Tuska stage had a runway! Well, I guess Stam1na is bigger than I thought, but let’s enjoy that. For some reason, the guys didn’t use it so much, so I started to think that maybe there was another band later on that built all these huge structures? Well, Stam1na is a regular performer on the Finnish festival scene and I can understand why. They just work so well, and us Finns love Stam1na, so every time they play, the crowd shows up.

Sara is an alternative rock band from Finland that has a nice cult following. They tend to stay more on the melancholic side of things, and I think that speaks to a certain kind of audience. For me, who loves a crushing and big sound, Sara never found a way onto my playlists. I did really like the atmosphere of the show, though, and it was so cool to see how deeply music can influence people. I swear I saw two people crying in the front row. Music influences us differently, and Sara has found their audience.

It was quite a leap from Sara’s melancholic tunes to two newer bands at the KVLT stage! First, I went to see Nitrik. The guitarist had Vans shoes and a Stone shirt on. Do I need to say more? I love thrash metal. Thrash metal loves me. That’s it. For the record, I really don’t know who the singer of Nitrik is. At one point I believe it was the drummer, then they had a guest singer, and then someone else? But it didn’t matter, as it was super energetic old-school thrash metal and you can’t go wrong with that!

Rukous, on the other hand, was something I was really expecting. I have a big love for the DIY scene, and they have been holding onto that approach. I had never heard them before, but their bio on the Tuska page said that they combine hardcore punk with black and heavy metal. So that seemed super interesting. And I really liked Rukous. The KVLT stage wasn’t full, but there were people who knew what they wanted, and Rukous delivered.

Amorphis is another Finnish festival favorite, and for a reason, too. I’ve seen them live a lot of times, and they never disappoint. I tend to like the older songs, but the setlist had a good variety and the audience got exactly what they came for. The guys in Amorphis are professionals who know what to do and how to handle the crowd. But… the runway. Tomi Joutsen used it a few times, but did they really build it just for that? I think not?

Another new band for me, called Malevolence, started on the Radio Rock Stage. Malevolence’s bio said that they play modern metal or hardcore and combine them with sludge and groove elements. As a Pantera fan, I was a bit excited about this. I had high hopes for the guys from Sheffield. Sadly, the singer Alex Taylor had some medical issues, but another member, Konan Hall, stepped in and they still performed. As this was my first time seeing them live, I don’t know how it stood in comparison to the „right“ lineup, but I liked it! I really think Malevolence had the best show on Sunday. The tent stage was full of energy, the pit was full, and people were crowd-surfing. The band really seemed to enjoy playing even though they had some setbacks. What a professional move to still perform. A lot of love to these guys, and another new find for me to fill up my record collection!

After Malevolence’s set, I was all out of energy and I was just about to head home, but then I heard a familiar sound from the main stage. Is that Oli Sykes here again? Well, you know it was! BMTH started the last act on the main stage, pyros were exploding, and the whole stage was filled with the BMTH show that we all know. I didn’t shoot the gig, so I had some time to just enjoy it. Even though it was my third or fourth time seeing them live, they always deliver! I understand why they are headlining Tuska so often; the crowd really loves Bring Me The Horizon, and they are becoming one of the biggest modern metal bands in the world. And for a reason.

Tuska was starting to be over for me. It was a blast. Everything was so well planned out, and like always, Tuska delivers. This year I left with a lot of new bands to listen to, which is always a joy. It is nice to see the old and familiar bands, but there is so much good music in the world that it is always fun to find new, exciting bands to listen to.

Thank you Tuska for 2026, and I can’t wait to see Lorna Shore headlining in 2027.