Festival Area
The Ilosaarirock Festival takes place in the city of Joensuu, in Laulurinne, which is located about one kilometre from the city's market place. Laulurinne is a pretty, park-like area designed specially for large events. There is a beach inside the festival area.
The Ilosaarirock festival area renewed
The Ilosaarirock Festival area expands for the 2012 festival. The area behind Laulurinne, nicely covered with grass, will be part of the festival area, allowing more festival goers than before to take part in the fun. With this reform, there is more room and more comfort for festival goers. Expanding the area will also help in fixing the problem spots of the festival area that we have gotten feedback about from the festival audience. By revamping the area we aim at minimising congestion and queuing, unavoidable in an event with an audience of thousands. We will not sell more tickets at the expense of the festival's atmosphere!
On this page, you can take the first look at the renewed Ilosaarirock festival area. We will tell more about the details during the spring. You can also find more information in the festival area map.
Ilosaarirock stages
Ilosaarirock Festival has five stages: Main Stage, YleX Stage, Sue Stage, Rento Stage, and Rekka Stage.
In 2012 the locations of some of the stages will change. The Sue Stage that used to be situated near the festival area's Main Gate relocates to the new lawn area behind Laulurinne. The Rekka Stage, on the other hand, takes the Sue Stage's former place, close to the Main Gate.
The order in which the stages host artists will also be changed, based on feedback from the festival audience. Slots will be organised so that artists on the Main Stage, the Sue Stage and the Rekka Stage are playing at the same time, and the YleX Stage and the Rento Stage are on simultaneously. In this way we try to minimise unfortunate overlaps as much as possible.
The Main Stage
The Main stage is situated in the middle lawn of Laulurinne. At the lawn in front of the Main stage you will also find two licenced bar areas, and the food stalls are situated on one side of the middle lawn. In front of the Main stage there is a platform for those who need a wheelchair.
The YleX Stage
The YleX Stage, a marquee stage with a capacity of about 8,000 listeners, is situated in the sandy area between Laulurinne and the horse track. Performances on the YleX Stage will begin already on Friday with the Sulo Club. In front of the YleX Stage there is a platform for those who need a wheelchair, and a licenced bar area with a fine view to the stage is situated in the back, opposite the stage.
The Sue Stage
The host to heavier grinding, punk and rock, the Sue Stage will relocate as the festival area expands this summer. Its new home is on the new lawn area behind Laulurinne. From the darkness of the Sue Stage's marquee tent you can come outside and take a breather, enjoying the lakeside view and sitting in the pleasant park area. There is also a licenced bar area next to the Sue Stage. The new part of the festival area also has toilets and a water tap.
The Rento Stage
The Rento Stage, situated on the Linnunlahti beach, emphasises R n' B. It has actually become a festival of its own inside the context of Ilosaarirock festival. You can dance your worries away in the sand, relax, and enjoy. In between gigs on the Rento Stage, the Rento Disco keeps the mellow moods alive with affable and dancable rhythm music from various corners of the world.
In addition to the Rento Stage, the beach area hosts toilets, a licenced bar area, Ilosaari lounge and food stalls.
The Rekka Stage
The legendary Rekka Stage moves to a new place next summer, right next to the festival's Main Gate. It offers a place for new and interesting talents to show us what they are made of. The musical indulgences at the Rekka Stage start already on Friday 13th of July in the Töminä Club. You can also follow the performers from the bar area situated right next to the stage.
Ilosaari Festival Lounge
This summer we have a nice novelty: the Ilosaari Lounge. Located next to the Sue stage, in the Lounge tent you can take a little breather from the festival, charge your mobile, see some artist interviews being made, watch films or just chill out. The program for the Ilosaari Lounge can be found on the Line-up page.
Clubs
Ilosaarirock Festival starts with club events on Friday 13 July. The Sulo Club jams on YleX Stage. The Töminä Club goes to the Rekka Stage.
The Sulo Club's and the Töminä Club's performers you can find on the Line-up page.
There are no age limits to any of the Clubs. There are separate licenced bar areas at the Clubs, and to enter these you need to be 18 years of age.
Festival area opening hours
The gates to the festival area open at 12 noon on both Saturday and Sunday. The Sue Stage and YleX Stage areas are closed after their last performers finish, but the festival folks can party on on the beach and in the main Stage area up until the last act of the evening finishes. After the final performer of the evening the entire festival area will be closed down.
Changing ticket for wristband
You can change your ticket for a wristband on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at ticket change points along Linnunlahdentie street (see map).
Ticket change points opening hours:
Fri 12am – 11pm
Sat 11am – 11pm
Sun 12am – 8pm.
You can also get your wristband in Kerubi, located in Siltakatu 1, from Monday 9th of July to Thursday 12th of July, between 11am and 6pm.
If Ilosaarirock tickets aren't sold out in advance, you can buy a ticket at a sales point close to the Main Gate. This sales point is open on Friday 13th of July from 12 noon to 11pm, on Saturday 14th of July from 11am to 11pm, and on Sunday 15th of July from 12 noon to 11pm. There is a limited number of tickets, so we recommend that you buy your ticket in advance.
On Friday you can buy your ticket to Sulo Club at the YleX Gate, and your Töminä Club ticket at the Main Gate. The club tickets can be changed for wristbands at the club gates as well as in the ticket change points along Linnunlahdentie street.
Gates
There are two gates to the festival area: the Main Gate on Linnunlahdentie, and the YleX Gate close to the YleX Stage. Both the Main Gate and the YleX Gate are open throughout the festival weekend, that is, on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday July 13, the Töminä Club entrance is through the Main Gate, and the Sulo Club entrance through the YleX Gate.
Poppikoppi Information Point
The Poppikoppi Information Point, next to the Main Gate (see map), is a place to solve all those problems that aren't solved in the Info point or other stalls. If you have a problem related to your ticket, wristband, lost and found etc., Poppikoppi Information Point is the place to go to. Poppikoppi Information Point is open from Friday to Monday, and it also hosts the Lost and Found during nights. You can charge your mobile in the Ilosaari Lounge.
Cloakrooms (Narikka) and Alcohol Deposits (Viinanarikka)
Cloakrooms and alcohol deposits are located close to both the festival site Main gate and the horse track gate (see map). Cloakrooms cost 2€, alcohol deposits 1€. Even sums for deposits make our work a lot easier while you spend less time queuing, so bring your coins! It is forbidden to bring alcoholic drinks to the festival site so alcoholic drinks must be left in the alcohol deposits.
Cloackroom opening hours:
Fri 5pm – 3am
Sat 11am – 2am
Sun 11am – 1am.
Remember to fetch your items in time before cloakrooms closes. We are not responsible for items that are not fetched.
Breakfast in Kuntoilukeidas sports hall
The official Ilosaarirock Festival breakfast is served in Kuntoilukeidas hall center which is located near Ravileirintä and Niittyleirintä camping sites. The breakfast includes bread, fresh vegetables, eggs, juice, and coffee etc. Breakfast is served on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm and it costs 8 euros.
Litter and Recycling
There are several recycling points in the festival site and camping areas. There you can sort out glass, metal, cardboard and mixed waste. If you are not sure which waste goes where ask staff at recycling point to show you, they'll be happy to help you!
