Ilosaarirock Festival week to kick off

This week brings over 200 bands to Joensuu
Record amount of prebookings in the festival camping areas

Probably the busiest week in Joensuu began on Tuesday, July 7, as the Popkatu street festival event opened. The hectic week culminates in the actual Ilosaarirock festival that begins on Friday, when over 20 000 people all over the world come together in Joensuu. In addition to Ilosaarirock and Popkatu, this week's programme includes Ilovaarirock for the more mature rock crowd and the Vekararokki for the junior members of the family. There is also a crop of different club events across the town.

All in all, the festival week features over 200 bands, and you can see over 70 of those on Ilosaarirock and the weekend clubs alone, including such big names as Alice in Chains (USA), Ellie Goulding (UK), Portishead (UK) and Eppu Normaali (FIN). The ticket sales is usually busy on the week before the big event, and lodging is hard to come by.

"We're going for the record again. It looks like the Sulo club will be sold out in advance, and the weekend draws a lot of people on the move. Our own accommodation has been more sought after than ever before so the official Ilosaarirock camping areas are likely to be fully packed as well. We got over 2000 applications for volunteer work this year, which is more than ever before, and the Ilosaarirock brunch was sold out in advance as well. On the whole it looks like we're going to have great weekend," commented Markku Pyykkönen, the executive director for the festival.

The Finnish copyright organisation Teosto reports that Joensuu is the 7th most lively town as to live music, when comparing towns and cities with populations over 40000 people. According to Teosto's records, Ilosaarirock was the 5th highest grossing festival in Finland last year.

Tickets can be exchanged for wristbands in advance in the Ilosaarirock Booth ("Rokkikontti") located on the Joensuu market square. The booth opens at 10 am. The festival organisers recommend that people make the exchange before the weekend. The camping areas still accept new lodgers from the gate, and a batch of tickets for the brunch will be available as well. "We've managed to accommodate all those willing as to date, so there's no need to worry about getting a spot on the camping area," Pyykkönen reassures.

Ilosaarirock tickets are sold locally at the Ilosaarirock Booth on the market square, the restaurant Kerubi, the record store LevyEskot and Carelicum. Nationally and internationally, tickets are available from the website www.ilosaarirock.fi and the ticket sales service Tiketti's offices.

Ilosaarirock starts on Friday, the 11th of July at the Sulo Club, when Anssi Kela, Pariisin Kevät, Eppu Normaali and Humpfonia!, the collaborative effort between the band Eläkeläiset and the Kuopio city orchestra, take to the stage. Advance tickest to Sulo club are sold at 29 euros.

Press photos at www.ilosaarirock.fi/2014/english/media

For more information visit: www.ilosaarirock.fi

For interviews contact:
Executive director Markku Pyykkönen, tel. +358503549068, if.kcoriraasoli@ukkram
PR officer Petri Varis, tel. +358442936889, if.kcoriraasoli@irtep

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