Media

Dear Journalists

Every year, approximately 200 representatives of the Finnish and the international media converge on Joensuu to take part to Ilosaarirock Festival. In 2008, the festival will be held from 11th to 13th July.

For more information about Ilosaarirock Festival, mail to mediailosaarirock.fi.

Ilosaari Summit 2008

This year sees the introduction of a whole new kind of event within the action-packed Ilosaarirock Festival weekend: an international workshop under name Ilosaari Summit. The workshop is intended as an up-to-date discussion forum bringing together the points of view of festivals, live music purchasers and sellers alike, but it is also a great opportunity for networking and building new forms of international collaboration. And where else could it be more comfortable to meet and greet a multitude of Finnish and international bands and artists than on the Ilosaarirock Festival ground! The workshop is organised by Music Managers Forum Finland in co-operation with Ilosaarirock Festival.

For more information about Ilosaari Summit, please see www.ilosaarirock.fi/summit/

Media accreditation

Accreditation of representatives of foreign medias is continuous, so you will be contacted in due time. Note: there is a limited number of accreditations available.

You can direct all your questions to Ms. Susanna Helander at mediailosaarirock.fi.

Check in

You can collect your press passes, including a photo lisence, from the check in -point, which is situated at the lobby of the near-by ice hall. Please see the map link below.

Map of the festival site & check in -point >

Check in opening hours:
Friday 11th July from 3pm to 10pm
Saturday 12th July from 9am to 8pm
Sunday 13th 11am to 5pm

Media Centre – location and services

The Media Centre is located in the backstage area of the main stage. The Media Centre will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 10pm. It is also possible to arrange special opening hours, preferably well in advance. Your visits to Media Centre can be work-related but you can also go there just to rest from the seething crowds. When you are coming to the Media Centre please use the gate which is on the right side of the main stage when you are facing it. This way the traffic will be more flexible.

At Media Centre there are some computers and laptop spots with Internet connections. The computers are meant mainly for writing articles. If necessary, photographers can use the computers to transfer photos. In case you need some extra devices, please contact Ms. Susanna Helander at mediailosaarirock.fi.

Interview requests and the artist area

Interview requests for both Finnish and foreign artists must be made directly to the artist's record company. Please find the contact information for record company representatives below. If necessary, the staff at Media Centre will forward requests to artists.

The media representatives do not have direct access to the backstage artist areas. The main stage VIP tent and the Media Centre, for example, are good places to arrange interviews in. The Media Centre staff will help in all possible ways with arranging times and places for interviews.

Guidelines for photographers

A right to take photos is included in the Ilosaarirock media pass. The basic rule on all stages is that with a media pass you can take photos with a flash ONLY from in front of the stage, i.e. between the stage and the security fence, during THREE first songs.

The stage security personnel may have different guidelines from the ones stated above, because of artists' wishes or security reasons. In order to get guidelines concerning each band you have to arrive at the stage five minutes before each gig starts at the latest. Photographers cannot go on the stage or the stage constructions. Remember also that the security personnel are responsible for safety on stage and they need space to do their jobs.

Guidelines for video shooting

Ilosaarirock does not grant permissions for video shooting; that is why all video shooting permissions have to be asked directly from each artist's representative. You can shoot video in the festival area if those you are shooting agree on this. When shooting video, the unfortunate basic rule is that everything that is not permitted is forbidden.

The stage security personnel may have different guidelines from the ones stated above, because of artists' wishes or security reasons. In order to get guidelines concerning each band you have to arrive at the stage five minutes before the gig starts at the latest. Photographers cannot go on the stage or the stage constructions. Remember also that the security personnel are responsible for safety on stage and they need space to do their jobs.

Festival press conference and other information

Ilosaarirock press conference wll be held on Saturday and Sunday at 5pm (in Finnish). Information regarding Ilosaarirock is updated on the Media Centre notice board and the Media section of the Ilosaarirock web page.

General information on Ilosaarirock, Joensuun Popmuusikot ry, as well as the city of Joensuu you can find in Media Centre.

For international media, the contact person is Ms. Susanna Helander at mediailosaarirock.fi.

Contact information of bands performing at Ilosaarirock 2008

Joe Bataan – Fullsteam / Johannes Kinnunen, +358 41 533 6211, johannesfullsteamagency.com

Comeback Kid – Supersounds / Miika Kuusinen, +358 3 223 8445, megasupersounds.fi

Common – Universal Music / Heidi Nuopponen, +358 40 583 5005, heidi.nuopponenumusic.com

Converge – Bonnier Amigo / Hanna Kaukoniemi, +358 40 590 5201, hanna.kaukoniemibonnieramigo.com

Cult of Luna – Supersounds / Miika Kuusinen, +358 3 223 8445, megasupersounds.fi

Fanfare Ciocârlia – Fullsteam / Johannes Kinnunen, +358 41 533 6211, johannesfullsteamagency.com

Heaven Shall Burn – ProPromotion Oy / Taija Holm, +358 40 748 3435, taijapropromotion.fi

The Heptones – Live Nation / Niksu Väistö, +358 40 705 8867, niksu.vaistolivenation.fi

Kashmir – +45 2372 6239, peterfphilipsenhotmail.com

Mad Caddies – Supersounds / Maarit Laitinen, +358 3 223 8445, maaritsupersounds.fi

Mad Sin – Supersounds / Antti Luukkanen, +358 3 223 8443, anttisupersounds.fi

Mike Patton – Mondo Cane – Fullsteam / Johannes Kinnunen, +358 41 533 6211, johannesfullsteamagency.com. Please note: Mike Patton – Mondo Cane interview requests must be made one week before festival!

Mogwai – Supersounds / Maarit Laitinen, +358 3 223 8445, maaritsupersounds.fi

Oceansize – Fullsteam / Johannes Kinnunen, +358 41 533 6211, johannesfullsteamagency.com

Ozric Tentacles – Fullsteam / Johannes Kinnunen, +358 41 533 6211, johannesfullsteamagency.com

Venetian Snares – Fullsteam / Artemi Remes, +358 50 374 4626, artemifullsteamagency.com


22-Pistepirkko – Playground Music Scandinavia / Nina Nurminen, 03 260 3204, 050 584 2717, ninniplaygroundmusic.com

Anal Thunder – Jussi Vento, +358 50 323 9919

Astro Can Caravan – New Music Community, +358 40 579 7010 jarno.koponennewmusiccommunity.org or +358 50 543 9283 kai.kuikkanieminewmusiccommunity.org

Cause for Effect – +358 50 375 3613, fusiongrindhotmail.com / aricauseforeffect.org

Diablo – ProPromotion Oy / Taija Holm, 040 748 3435, taijapropromotion.fi

Discard – Shadow World Records, infoshadowworld.fi

Hanoi Rocks – Backstage Alliance / Milla Palovaara, milla.palovaarabackstagealliance.com

The Heartburns – Lasse, +358 40 413 7359

Lapko – Fullsteam Records / Johannes Kinnunen, 041 533 6211, johannesfullsteamrecords.com

Medeia – Fullsteam Records / Johannes Kinnunen, +358 41 533 6211, johannesfullsteamrecords.com

Momo Cat – Supersounds Music / Maarit Laitinen, maaritsupersounds.fi

Mokoma – Playground Music Scandinavia / Tommi Muhli, 03 260 3229, 044 540 0486, tommiplaygroundmusic.com

Morley – Uho Production / Petri Tyynelä, +358 50 091 8007, petri.tyynelauhoproduction.com or pia.parkkonenuhoproduction.com

Nightwish – Spinefarm Records / Tuula Salminen, 09 4542 7140, 040 901 1266, tuulasspinefarm.fi

Pepe Deluxé – Playground Music Scandinavia / Ninni Nurminen, 03 260 3204, 050 584 2717, ninniplaygroundmusic.com

Risto – Fonal Records / Sami Sänpäkkilä, 050 584 1486, samifonal.com

Rotten Sound – Spinefarm Records / Tuula Salminen, 09 4542 7140, 040 9011266, tuulasspinefarm.fi

Stam1na – Playground Music Scandinavia / Tommi Muhli, 03 260 3229, 044 540 0486, tommiplaygroundmusic.com

Tuomo Prättälä – Jupiter / Texicalli / Juha Paaso, 041 549 6496, juha.paasopahajuuso.com

Turisas – ProPromotion Oy / Taija Holm, 040 748 3435, taijapropromotion.fi

The Valkyrians – Fullsteam Agency, 050 538 4178, otsofullsteamagency.com

Von Hertzen Brothers – Dynasty Records / Liisa Pulli, 044 586 3762, liisadynastyrecordings.fi

Press photos

Joe Bataan Joe Bataan
Download JPEG-file (1097 × 1696 px, 1,33 Mb)


Common Common
Download JPEG-file (1760 × 2400 px, 1,02 Mb)


Converge Converge
Download JPEG-file (1800 × 1215 px, 2,54 Mb)


Fanfare Ciocârlia Fanfare Ciocârlia
Download JPEG-file (1772 × 1209 px, 362 kb)


Heptones The Heptones
Download JPEG-file (1972 × 1570 px, 1,63 Mb)


Kashmir Kashmir
Photo: Søren Solkær Starbird
Download JPEG-file (1500 × 1033 px, 763 kb)


Mad Caddies Mad Caddies
Download JPEG-file (1559 × 1986 px, 1,51 Mb)


Mad Sin Mad Sin
Download JPEG-file (2965 × 2603 px, 3,41 Mb)


Mike Patton – Mondo Cane Mike Patton – Mondo Cane #1
Download JPEG-file (1154 × 780 px, 584 kb)


Mike Patton – Mondo Cane Mike Patton – Mondo Cane #2
Download JPEG-file (1181 × 785 px, 407 kb)


Mogwai Mogwai
Photo: Steve Gullick
Download JPEG-file (2764 × 2795 px, 3,35 Mb)


Nightwish Nightwish
Photo: Ville Juurikkala
Download JPEG-file (2648 × 4292 px, 4,69 Mb)


Ozric Tentacles Ozric Tentacles
Download JPEG-file (1627 × 1216 px, 579 kb)


Turisas Turisas
Photo: Steve Brown
Download JPEG-file (3543 × 2506 px, 2,51 Mb)


Ilosaarirock 2008 juliste Ilosaarirock 2008 poster
Download PDF (287 kb)
Download PNG (2067 × 3508 px, 204 kb)


About Ilosaarirock Festival

Ilosaarirock – an energetic and community-minded festival, always first and foremost about great music.

Started back in 1971, Ilosaarirock Festival is one of the oldest rock festivals in Europe. It is also one of the major music events in Finland: each year well over 20 000 festival-goers from all over Finland and Northern Europe head to Ilosaarirock Festival. The festival site is situated in the city of Joensuu, about 60 km from the Finnish-Russian border. Ilosaarirock has established a unique reputation among the music enthusiasts for its combination of relaxed ambience, musical insight and professional dedication. Each year, some 100 bands play at the Festival's five stages and clubs. Ilosaarirock Festival presents an original music programme which combines the brand new with the old and time-honoured as well as big names with more marginal ones. Year after year the tickets have sold out in advance, as the music enthusiasts from all over Europe have learned to rely on Ilosaarirock Festival's unbeatable combination of great atmosphere and the best and most fascinating artists from Finland and abroad.

Ilosaarirock is a member of YOUROPE – the European Festival Association.

Music through the years

Just a few of the names that Ilosaarirock Festival has presented over the years, many of them for the first time in Finland:

Agnostic Front · Anathema · Anthrax · Auf der Maur · Blackalicious · Buju Banton · Calexico · Capleton · Carpark North · The Cinematic Orchestra · Cradle of Filth · The Damned · Danko Jones · The Darkness · Dark Tranquillity · Dj Krush · DKT / MC5 · Dropkick Murphys · Fantômas · Fu Manchu · The Herbaliser · HIM · The Hives · In Flames · Katatonia · Kid Koala · Machine Head · Monster Magnet · Moonspell · Mudhoney · Muse · My Dying Bride · Napalm Death · Nasum · Nightwish · Oi Polloi · Paradise Lost · Phoenix · Porcupine Tree · The Prodigy · RJD2 · Raised Fist · The Rollins Band · Sick of It All · The Skatalites · The Slackers · Sonic Youth · The Soundtrack of Our Lives · Suede · Amon Tobin · Saul Williams · Weeping Willows

Facts about Ilosaarirock 2008

  • 2008 is the 38th consecutive year of Ilosaarirock Festival.
  • 21,000 two-day tickets are on sale from early May onwards. The tickets have been sold out in advance for the entire past decade.
  • More than 90 bands are expected to play on Ilosaarirock Festival's 5 stages and clubs.
  • Ilosaarirock is a festival for all tastes: the musical genres covered include metal, pop, rock, hiphop and reggae, but also prog rock, jazz, opera metal, post rock, punk, electro, hardcore, folk metal...
  • Every year Ilosaarirock attracts more and more international visitors, many of whom come from the near-by Russian cities such as St. Petersburg and Petrozavodsk.
  • Ilosaarirock Festival is organised by Joensuun Popmuusikot (est. 1971) – a non-profit association whose purpose is to rise the standard of rock and pop music in the region and to promote local bands nationally and internationally.
  • Ilosaarirock Festival is a non-profit event, created almost uniquely by volunteers – the hallmark for unbeatable Ilosaarirock quality and atmosphere!
  • Ilosaarirock Festival 2008 takes place from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th July 2008. Camping sites open on Thursday 10th July.