Music The music industry expects great success this year, but the festivals are plagued by a shortage of staff – here are the most anticipated tours, records and comebacks for the music year 2022

Light much is expected from the year that has begun in the field of music. Now, however, the situation seems difficult at the beginning of the year; there are two awkward years behind it, and coronary infections are at their peak. Despite this, Finnish actors are hopeful for next summer.

If the disease situation eases, an all-time festival summer is known. It sounds familiar, as the same was expected from the summer of 2021, but it turned out differently.

For festival organizers, however, the situation does not look bleak, as major events have announced their programs and ticket sales have been brisk.

“Summer and fall events are selling well. At the turn of the year, in some places even better than the so-called normal situation, ”says the CEO of Fullsteam Agency Tuomo Tähtinen says.

Fullsteam organizes the Province, Sideways and Knotfest, among others, and handles gig sales for numerous domestic artists.

Several festivals have announced that advance tickets purchased for summers canceled due to the pandemic will run as is the following summer. So Flow, for example, is likely to have a substantial crowd next summer coming in with a ticket purchased more than two years earlier. However, the festival is not already sold out.

“Finns usually only get their tickets closer to the festival itself, so tickets are still available, although ticket sales are many times higher than in normal years,” said Flow’s CEO. Suvi Kallio says.

About 70 percent of those who bought a Flow ticket in 2020 have kept their tickets, Ruisrock received “some” refunds in the first summer, but fewer tickets were received in the summer of 2021.

Ruisrockin promoter Mikko Niemelä says that as many tickets were sold to Ruisrock during Christmas as in late 2019.

“It says that at least the festival goers believe that the event will be held,” says Niemelä.

Also, the performers have not received any hints of cancellations, although the infection situation is now poor.

“Even last summer, even big events were successfully held, and society did not collapse. I don’t remember any major cases reported, ”says Niemelä.

Read more: New corona subsidies receive praise from entrepreneurs, but the fate of summer festivals is at stake in the coming weeks

Managing director Juhani Merimaa Helsinki Rock & Roll Oy and Vantaa Festivaalit Oy told HS on Saturdaythat summer festivals are facing exciting weeks ahead. By the beginning of February, many big bands and artists will decide if they will go on European tours at all.

Negative decisions could lead to many problems at the festival if the nature of the festival changes, and it could lead to ticket cancellations, Merimaa said.

Multi one of the biggest festivals has taken a break for two summers. As other live music events have also been scarce, professionals in the event industry have had to apply for other jobs.

The shortage of manpower is now a major concern for festival organizers.

“A lot of skilled labor has left the industry,” admits Tuomo Tähtinen.

“I wouldn’t care only for ourselves, but for the entire network and subcontracting chain. We are all interdependent. ”

Tähtinen says there will be an exceptional number of events next summer and it is therefore uncertain whether there will be qualified staff for everyone.

“We are talking about technology experts, restaurant operators and security staff, among other things. How much manpower returns to the industry depends on how confident it can be assumed that events can be organized. ”

Flow and Ruisrock have also found that staff are now harder to find than before the pandemic.

“During the last couple of years, no new factors have been completed and the students have not gained work experience,” says Suvi Kallio.

Corona years the impact is reflected in the income of music creators and performers. Performance fees have been low, as have copyright fees paid through Teosto for performances. Gramex royalties collected and accounted for music recorded in public places have also decreased.

It has not been completely inconsolable to make music. The recording market and listening to music have not been frozen by the pandemic, as more and more music is being bought all the time.

In 2020, audio sales grew by four percent. Not all of last year’s data has yet been obtained, but based on the figures so far, growth has continued to be even stronger.

“Maybe about ten percent,” Deputy Director of Ifpi Finland, an umbrella organization for the sound industry Tommi Kyyrä estimates growth in 2021.

The majority of music is purchased from paid streaming services. Physical recordings accounted for 11 percent in 2020, and less than half of them were vinyl records.

“The popularity of vinyl records continues to grow. By last October, the growth was more than 50 percent over the same period last year. ”

Surprisingly, CD sales have also started to rise slightly after a long and sharp decline.

In Finland domestic music was popular for a long time, and still in 2014 domestic music was bought as much as foreign. Since then, the domestic share has fallen to about a third in recent years.

According to Tommi Kyyrä, this is partly an illusion, because most of the music offered for streaming is foreign.

“There are about 70 million songs in streaming services, and that alone will reduce the domestic share.”

At least half of the most listened to songs and best-selling albums of the year have been domestic.

These are expected in 2022

1. Major domestic festivals

Rockfest 2-6. (Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Megadeth, Nightwish)

Sideways June 16-18 (Mac DeMarco, The Avalanches, Caribou, Mogwai)

Province June 30-July 2 (Korn, Pendulum Live, Opeth, Deftones)

Weekend Festival 1. – 3.7. (David Guetta, Post Malone, Tove Lo, Nina Kraviz)

Pain 1. – 3.7. (Korn, Deftones, Carcass, Mercyful Fate)

Ruisrock July 8-10 (Major Lazer, Martin Garrix, Megan Thee Stallion, Polo G)

Pori Jazz 8.-16.7. (John Legend, Simply Red, Kenny Garrett, Charles Lloyd feat. Bill Frisell)

Ilosaarirock July 15-17 (Liam Gallagher, Nightwish, Alan Walker, Tones and I)

Flow 12 – .14.8. (Gorillaz, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Michael Kiwanuka, Bikini Kill)

Knotfest 12.-13.8. (Slipknot, Lamb of God, Bring Me Horizon, Nightwish)

The software will be updated during the spring.

2. Domestic stadium and arena gigs

Haloo Helsinki, Apulanta, Sunrise Avenue, Ed Sheeran, Antti tuisku (Olympic Stadium)

J. Karjalainen, Sabaton, Björk, Eric Clapton, Kiss, Dua Lipa, Queen + Adam Lambert, Celine Dion, The Cure, Saint (Hartwall Arena)

Jussi Hakulinen, Apocalyptica, The War On Drugs, Helloween & Hammerfall, Ida Paul & Kalle Lindroth, Khalid, Whitesnake, Social Distortion, Judas Priest, George Thorogood and The Destroyers, Snoop Dogg, Blender, Amon Amarth & Machine Head, Placebo, Arch Enemy & Behemoth, Uriah Heep, Lamb of God

Sting, Lauri Tähkä, Nightwish, Ghost, Evanescence, Andrea Bocelli, Swedish House Mafia (Nokia Arena)

Justin Bieber, Toto, Ugly Kid Joe, Therapy? (Kaisaniemi Park)

James Blunt (Myyrmäki Stadium)

DAD (Suvilahti)

Hassinen’s machine, Juha Tapio (Ratina Stadium)

3. Superstars return for tours abroad

Billie Eilish, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga , Olivia Rodrigo, Abba’s Avatar Concert Series and Elton Johnin a farewell tour continuing until 2023.

4. Music films and documentaries

JVG documentary, Janet Jackson -documentary, Whitney from Houston narrative drama, About Robbie Williams narrative drama, Kanye West -document, Baz Luhrmann directed by a film About Elvis and Kenneth Branaghin directed by The Bee Gees.

5. New foreign albums

Travis Scott, Charli XCX,, Sinead O’Connor, Mitski, Swedish House Mafia, Tears for Fears, Janet Jackson, Avril Lavigne, Ozzy Osbourne and Dolly Parton (Dolly is also releasing her debut novel, the story of which is linked to the songs on the new album).

6. New domestic albums

J. Karjalainen, Vesta, Blind Channel, Evelina, Erin.