A new metal festival in Finland – Kaaos Festival takes over Vaasa

Kaaos Festival will be organized for first time ever this year. Besides internationally known artists, the event is bringing to Finland foreign bands that have never performed in the country before.

The spectre of Finnish heavy metal festivals is widening, when Kaaos Festival is taking over the area of the old theme park of Wasalandia in Vaskiluoto of Vaasa in July 25.–26. for the first time in history. The headliners include for example Norwegian Leprous, Swedish Raised Fist and The Haunted and Finnish Turmion Kätilöt.

“My aim was to get many bands from abroad. Especially the ones that have never performed in Finland before. As far as I know Chaoseum, Graphic Nature and Eradikated have never had a show in our country”, Arto Mäenpää, the editor-in-chief of Chaoszine and another head organizer of the event, says.

Mäenpää has seen rock and metal events in Finland and all around the world for a couple of decades. He believes that every organizer has a personal style. He sees that his own one differs from the bigger Finnish metal events like Tuska, Nummirock and John Smith Rock Festival.

“I may have something to offer and the line-up is pretty interesting. Chaoszine and its Finnish sister magazine Kaaoszine are contacted by hundreds of bands every day. I’m pretty much forced to be on the date what is happening in the genre. Which bands are rising and which ones may not interest people that much. I hope that I’ve made the right calls.”

When Mäenpää was able to book The Haunted, it made things a lot easier with the other artists. He goes way back with the band. Mäenpää says that the COVID-19 pandemic killed many events in Finland and Europe.

“Unfortunately it affects to a festival, which is organized for the first time ever. The bands are a bit cautious with the decisions, where they are playing. I’m sure that without The Haunted it would’ve been a lot harder to form the rest of the line-up. It was a sign for the other bands, that we are being serious, and not just having some pointless farmers market in the field.”

From indoors to an open air festival

Arto Mäenpää has organized events before, but they have been KaaosFest events inside the WsArena. The indoor festival had basically four performers in a day. The editor-in-chief had an idea of having an open air event during the summer for a long time.

The hard fact is that the economical realities are what they are during this time we are living in. Mäenpää was waiting for a fitting partner with whom to take the next step. He had previously suggested to Ari Rintamäki from WsArena that the name of Lisää Löylyä should be changed into Kaaos Festival.

“Ari himself brought up the idea, that why don’t we create our own festival, if he helps with the financing? There were many pieces that happened to fit perfectly into the puzzle at once. It would’ve been pretty stupid to say no.”

Mäenpää has been in charge of booking the bands and Rintamäki has handled the infrastructural side. The festival is organized by a group of professionals with ten years of experience from Lisää Löylyä -event.

Mäenpää compares Vaasa and the festival area to John Smith Rock Festival of Laukaa, which has been voted as the best rock festival in Finland for several times. He sees a lot of similarities with the setting. It is a short walk from the train station to the center of the city and a short walk from the center to the area.

“The hotel Scandic Waskia is located right next to the festival area. The outdoor swimming pools and water slides are open during the summertime. The area itself is one of the reasons, why I felt that it’s smart to have the festival with our own brand right there.”

He points out that Vaasa is just a short boat trip away from Sweden’s Umeå. The region does not have metal festivals during the summer, but House of Metal in November is bringing thousands of people to enjoy music indoors.

“If even a small percentage of that group of people would visit Kaaos Festival, it would have a huge impact regarding the continuity of the event.”

Own slot in the calendar

At first it wasn’t obvious that the festival would take place in Vaasa. Arto Mäenpää says that they were negotiating for example with Oulu and Seinäjoki. The location was finalized only after WsArena joined the project.

“I still wouldn’t rule out the chance that Kaaos Festival might take place in some other city some year. But of course regarding the brand it would be good, that the area would stay the same. We’ve seen festivals in Finland, where they have changed the location. Personally I think that it’s not only a good thing. The visitors will not get used to the area.”

Another possibility is that the area itself will be filled with buildings and houses someday, but according to Mäenpää it will not happen at least during the next five years. He lives himself in Vaasa and feels that it’s important that the city is represented in the Finnish festival calendar.

“When you’re checking the tour dates of the bands, Vaasa is nowhere to be seen. It’s important for me that there’s something happening in here as well. Vaasa is a summer city and a fine one! I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t have something like this in here.”

Mäenpää points out that Vaasa had Rockperry for years. The festival brought a lot of big bands to the city, for example In Flames, Helloween, Within Tempation and Children of Bodom.

“Actually it was a really good festival, and I want to do something like that. I admit that I knew from the beginning, that this is not going to be an easy trip. I have a huge respect to the people, who have the energy and passion to organize events every year. At least so far this has been fun and fresh!”

Mäenpää was looking for his “own slot” in the festival calendar. He picked the end of July because there are no big heavy metal festivals in Finland during the specific weekend. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes. There are some simultaneous festivals, but their genre is totally different.”

“Every city has their promoters. I have no interest to fight or compete with them. I’ve tried to find a crack that wouldn’t bother the pre-existing metal festivals and their weekends.”

“If you don’t ever try…”

Kaaos Festival is obviously connected to Kaaoszine and Chaoszine led by Arto Mäenpää. Besides the editor-in-chief himself many of the reporters and photographers are working at the festival. Mäenpää says that he has always dreamt about a festival that would serve the readers as well.

“A bit like Radio Rock has Rockfest and Sweden Rock Magazine has Sweden Rock Festival. The idea of widening our own brand from media to the event came from there. But I think that I will stay here locally. I have no interest in organizing ice rink concerts for example in Helsinki or Tampere.”

Mäenpää is hoping that people would find Kaaos Festival even if it is a new event. The festival has campaigned for example by hiding free tickets to different cities. Mäenpää got the idea from bands who have been hiding for example guitar picks or signed records.

“We’re being level-headed with the first year. We’ve already booked a lot of bands for the next year. It would be nice, if this would continue and we’d be able do this for years and years to come. Unfortunately the first two years will indicate, if there’s demand for this. If not, I think year 2026 will be the last one.”

For now the next year is a go whatever happened. According to Mäenpää about a half of the line-up is already booked. 2026 will show if Kaaos Festival makes any sense or if it is just a “really expensive hobby”.

“If I decide to do something, I’m 110 percent in. That’s the only way for me. If you don’t ever try anything, you can’t ever achieve anything. There ain’t too many metal festivals in Finland after all, and I’ve thought, that there is a place for this.”

Mäenpää is confident with the location, the area and artists. He is actually pleased, what kind of an event Kaaos Festival will be considering that this is the first year ever.

“It’s not easy during the first year. We just have to spread the information, so people will know, how great event we’re having here. I hope that people will try something new besides the traditional metal festivals – or in addition to them.”

You can find tickets for the first edition of Kaaos Festival here.