Be a Flow pro: 10 ways to make sure your Flow Festival rocks
Helsinki’s Flow Festival is the one Finnish festival everyone should check out. Since 2004, Flow has established itself as the premier event for eclectic music. It consistently books the most fascinating alternative, indie, electronic, rap, hip hop and R’n’B acts from around the world.
This year’s lineup features acts such as Alt-J, The War on Drugs, Future Island and Major Lazer. The art-pop elite is represented by Beck and Pet Shop Boys. The event is easy to get to and offers excellent food and ambiance. This artful orgy of hipness has everything a festival-goer needs. Here are ten ways to make sure your Flow Festival rocks.
1. Record and share your festival experience
Flow Festival is about trying new things. If you want to record your life in a creative way, check out the short-movie making app from Helsinki-based LUUP. The service makes it simple to shoot four-scene HD video footage in seconds. The app lets you add background music from a library of licensed tunes. Your movie then loops to create an atmospheric recording. Your Flow experience is better shared, so download LUUP and share those moments.
LUUP: Flow Festival 2014 from Luup App on Vimeo.
2. Get in tune with the music beforehand
You do not have to listen to every Soundcloud link on Pitchfork to know what is good at Flow. The curators do the work for you. Their Spotify playlist showcases the best work of the acts playing at the festival. It is worth building a sense of what is available. You will likely find something you love in addition to the headliners.
3. Pay special attention to the locals
The Finnish music scene is not as massive as its Swedish neighbours. Nonetheless, Finnish music offers a lot if you like styles outside the mainstream. This year’s Flow festival features several Finnish acts worth checking out.
LCMDF
LCMDF is a vortex of art school cool and soul-searching Berlin-Helsinki commutes. The sister duo’s repertoire spans guitar pop to intense electronic sounds. This live clip confirms their on-stage attitude.
K-X-P
K-X-P generates cosmic energy and creates a musical vortex of rock’n’roll shamanism, glam-punk wildness, kraut-tronica and spiritual ambient techno. The resulting singularity is galactic. Live-worthiness is confirmed in this clip.
Regina
Regina introduced the world to Iisa Pykäri’s dreamy voice a decade ago. Add Mikko’s electropop soundscapes and shoegazy guitar for something worth celebrating. Their exclusive anniversary gig at Flow preserves all the airiness and crispness you could wish for.
4. Download the app or make a manual personal lineup
Whether you run between stages or experience every gig in its entirety, try the Flow Festival app. It is released a few days before the start. It lets you visualize which artists are playing and gives you notifications. If you worry about battery life, make a list beforehand. The website also allows you to create and print your personal lineup.
5. Bring serious cash for awesome food
Eat. This sounds obvious. Keep in mind that Flow Festival is an epicenter of street food culture in Helsinki. Most interesting food entrepreneurs in the city have stands at Flow. You might find yourself trying two meals a day. Even if you are cash strapped, it is worth pinching from your food budget for the rest of the month to eat here.
6. Prepare for Finnish summer
The summer of 2014 was remembered for tropical undertones. Usually, Finnish weather is chilly and windy. Even if you live in the Nordics, shoreside Helsinki can be surprising on a windy day. If rain is forecast, bring Goretex apparel. It beats the plastic raincoats sold at the festival.
7. Be sure to use public transport
Flow is in a dense urban area. It is arranged at Suvilahti, a beautiful area by a retired power plant. You have all the conveniences of the neighboring Kallio neighborhood. Do not come by car. Use public transit or a bike. You can store your bike at the festival’s parking area. Tens of thousands of people disappear into urban infrastructure smoothly here.
8. Fix accommodation with the locals
Camping is not for everyone. If you are finished with tents, an urban festival allows for convenient lodging. If you are on a budget, try Couchsurfing or Airbnb as close to the festival as possible.
9. Learn something new at Flow Talks
Registering for Flow Talks is a way to get into the festival area early. This year, the talks focus on urban planning and culture. Keynote speeches are delivered in English by veteran urban planners. Once inside on Friday, you have time to explore before the rest of the horde arrives.
Good to know about the talks. They are not much publicised. One other thing to remember. Your phone probably will not work because so many people are trying to call. So have meeting place if you get lost. Saved me last year :)
Wish I’d know this last year when, in typical Willans style, I lost everyone and spent half the night all on my lonesome.
If you have one of those portable, battery driven 4G/Wi-Fi modems (called “mokkula” in Finnish), you can probably use it for much better reception, for data at least.
In my experience, these specialized devices have superb built in antennas and can handle strained cell networks a lot better than smartphones during massive events. They’re super cheap in Finland too, often with no data caps.
These won’t of course help you if lose sight of your friends who aren’t able to get on the phone or wireless data networks, but you can at least upload LUUPs.
I always walk around everywhere when I get in so I know how to get to places quick. Otherwise it can be easy to miss your best bands especially after some drinks.
For me it’s simple. Get there early so you be right at the front when the brilliant PET SHOP BOYS kick off!!
So happy to find this. I am coming over from Stockholm so my first time. What time do the talks start?
Hejsan. Vad kul att du kommer. Flow är nog bland det bästa Helsingfors har att erbjuda.
The talks are on Friday (14th) starting at 3 pm. You need to register, though. Also note that only the keynote speeches are in English. I think they’re good enough, but then I’m super interested in urban planning and culture.
As I wrote in the post, the talks are a perfectly good way to sneak into (a subset of) the festival area early, meaning no crazy queuing at the main gate.
See http://www.flowfestival.com/en/talks/
Hoppas du får en bra festivalupplevelse!
Hi! Talks start at 3pm!
Thanks, Tuuli. Did you go?