Summertime-Finland is full of festivals of all colours and sizes – especially music festivals! One of the biggest and oldest is Ruisrock, a 3-day rock festival hosted on the gorgeous island of Ruissalo, situated in the historical, old capital city of Turku. As one of the world’s oldest and Europe’s second longest-running rock festival (only a few days younger than Pinkpop in the Netherlands!), Ruisrock attracts a good crowd each year, topping the scale with 100 000 people in 1971, and reaching its 2012 goal with nearly 70 000 visitors.

This year the fantastic crowd celebrated a mix of the biggest Finnish bands as well as international greats such as SNOOP DOGG, APOCALYPTICA, REFUSED, THE CARDIGANS , FLOGGING MOLLY, THE RASMUS, PULP, SANTIGOLD, NIGHTWISH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, BLOC PARTY, METRONOMY, THE MARS VOLTA, TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB, YEASAYER , RIVAL SONS, VERONICA MAGGIO, EWERT AND THE TWO DRAGONS, VON HERTZEN BROTHERS, FINTELLIGENS, PMMP, MICHAEL MONROE, CHISU, amongst many others.

Flowers, love, sun, a little rain, some booze, and loads of ROCK ‘N’ ROLL!! Enjoy the pictures!!!

Photos: Anna Kelhu