Kaaos Festival 2026, day 2: Historic reunions, black and death metal fury, and a spectacular finale by Beast in Black

The second day of Kaaos Festival began under perfect weather conditions. Forecasts that had looked rather uncertain earlier in the week had turned in the festival’s favor, allowing attendees to enjoy the opening hours of Saturday bathed in glorious summer sunshine.

One of the more unique attractions on the festival grounds was The Growl Container, organized by Rock Camp Finland. For just two euros, festivalgoers could measure the volume of their growls against a decibel meter and scream at the top of their lungs. All proceeds went directly to supporting youth music programs, making it a fun and creative way to combine festival entertainment with a good cause.

Inborn Tendency woke up the festival with crushing death metal

Saturday’s live music began on the second stage with Finnish death metal outfit Inborn Tendency.

Although the band hails from the Savonia region, they describe themselves as being raised by the dark forests of Central Finland—a fitting description considering the sheer heaviness of their music.

I had unfortunately missed their performance at Nummirock earlier in the summer, despite the band being one of the finalists in Finland’s Metal Battle competition. Naturally, I was eager to finally see them live.

While not everyone had arrived at the festival grounds yet, those who had certainly weren’t standing around idly. Inborn Tendency delivered exactly what a Saturday afternoon festival crowd needed: an energetic wake-up call.

At one point, the band challenged the audience to make as much noise as possible.

The response left little room for doubt.

There was plenty of volume.

Their relentless death metal assault immediately brought the audience to life, making Inborn Tendency the perfect choice to kick off the festival’s second day.

Machinae Supremacy turned the main stage into a celebration

Opening the main stage on Saturday was Swedish video game metal pioneers Machinae Supremacy.

Known for blending heavy metal with distinctive chiptune elements inspired by classic video games, the band has spent more than two decades carving out one of the most unique sounds in modern metal.

Earlier this year, Machinae Supremacy released its eighth studio album, once again expanding its unmistakable fusion of metal riffs and retro gaming aesthetics.

The band’s connection with Finland runs deep. Having performed in the country countless times since their first Finnish appearance back in 2000, they’ve often referred to Finland as something of a second home.

That familiarity was immediately apparent.

From the opening song onward, the crowd responded enthusiastically. Heads were banging, fans were dancing, and smiles were everywhere in front of the stage. Combined with impressive pyrotechnics, Machinae Supremacy transformed the festival grounds into one giant celebration.

Misantropia returned to the stage after more than 30 years

One of Saturday’s biggest moments came when legendary Vaasa metal act Misantropia returned to the stage for the first time in more than three decades.

As one of the city’s most respected cult metal bands, their comeback was nothing short of historic.

Performing in Finnish, Misantropia received an incredibly warm welcome from the audience. The timing couldn’t have been better either, with bright sunshine creating almost perfect conditions for the band’s long-awaited return.

Despite years away from the live stage, there wasn’t even the slightest sign of rust.

Instead, the performance radiated genuine joy. It was immediately obvious how much the band enjoyed standing in front of an audience once again.

Between songs, vocalist Sami noticed several familiar faces in the crowd and jokingly warned older festivalgoers to leave the wildest mosh pits to the younger generation—unless they wanted to spend the rest of the weekend searching for replacement hip joints.

The joke earned loud laughter from the audience and perfectly reflected the relaxed atmosphere surrounding the performance.

In front of the stage stood metal fans of every generation. Longtime followers had gathered to witness the band’s return, while plenty of younger listeners embraced Misantropia with equal enthusiasm.

The concert reached its emotional climax during the closing song, “Kielletyt kuvat,” when Lobo-Tommi from Grillijono K.O. unexpectedly joined the band on stage for a guest appearance.

As the set came to an end, Sami left fans with one final tease.

According to him, this might not be the last time Misantropia appears on stage.

The Crown bid farewell to Finland

Another historic moment followed shortly afterward as Swedish death metal veterans The Crown performed what was announced as their final Finnish concert.

The band will conclude its 35-year career with one last performance in Gothenburg on December 19th, making their appearance at Kaaos Festival the final opportunity for Finnish fans to see them live.

The performance was everything one could have expected.

No unnecessary gimmicks.

No elaborate stage production.

Just uncompromising death and thrash metal delivered with absolute precision.

Throughout the set, fists filled the air, heads kept banging, and mosh pits erupted repeatedly in front of the stage as The Crown tore through one crushing song after another.

Sometimes, a traditional metal show is exactly what’s needed.

Kaaos Festival 2027 revealed its first artists

Following The Crown’s farewell performance, the audience’s attention turned back to the main stage for one of the weekend’s biggest announcements.

Festival organizers officially confirmed that Kaaos Festival will return in 2027, a piece of news that was met with enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

The celebration continued as the festival unveiled its first wave of artists for next year’s edition through a series of video greetings from the musicians themselves.

The first names announced for Kaaos Festival 2027 were Tarja Turunen, former Iron Maiden vocalist Blaze Bayley, Swedish melodic death metal veterans Scar Symmetry, fellow Swedes The Unguided, and Fimbul Winter, featuring former members of Amon Amarth.

The announcement was warmly received, with many festivalgoers already looking forward to next summer.

Ryoji Shinomoto paid tribute to Alexi Laiho

One of Saturday’s most unique performances followed shortly afterward as Ryoji Shinomoto returned to the main stage with his Tribute to Alexi Laiho set.

The lineup was identical to Ryujin’s performance on Friday, but this time the focus shifted entirely to Children of Bodom, with songs taken from Shinomoto’s “Children of Bushido” tribute album.

Shinomoto has often spoken about Alexi Laiho being one of his greatest musical heroes, and throughout the performance it was easy to see how deeply personal this project was for him.

Fans of both Children of Bodom and samurai metal were treated to another visually striking performance.

By now, the sun had disappeared behind the clouds and the evening air had noticeably cooled. Fortunately, a large crowd gathered in front of the stage, making it easy to forget about the dropping temperatures.

The performance, however, didn’t begin entirely according to plan.

Technical difficulties delayed the start by approximately five minutes as the crew worked to resolve equipment issues. From the audience, it was clear that Shinomoto himself was becoming increasingly frustrated while trying to communicate with the technical staff.

Unfortunately, the delay meant that not every song originally planned for the set could be performed.

Once everything was finally working, though, the atmosphere changed instantly.

The moment Shinomoto shouted “Are you ready?”, the audience answered with an overwhelming roar before the band exploded into “Hate Me!“

From that point onward, the performance never lost momentum.

The concert served as a heartfelt tribute to Alexi Laiho’s legacy. The musicians played with tremendous energy while treating the original material with obvious respect. Songs like “Needled 24/7” immediately ignited the crowd and even gave me goosebumps, while “Lake Bodom” stood out as another undeniable highlight of the evening.

As the performance came to a close, it became obvious just how much this concert meant to Shinomoto personally.

He told the audience that performing this tribute had been a lifelong dream and an immense honor. It was a genuinely emotional moment, and it almost seemed as though he himself was struggling to hold back his emotions.

Warmen kept the momentum going

The next band to take over the main stage was Finnish melodic death metal outfit Warmen, led by keyboard virtuoso Janne Wirman.

By early evening, the festival atmosphere had reached another level, with a sizeable crowd once again gathering in front of the main stage.

Following the end of Children of Bodom in 2019, Janne Wirman found himself considering the next chapter of his musical career. Together with his brother Antti Wirman, he revived Warmen, originally known as an instrumental side project, and transformed it into a fully-fledged melodic death metal band.

Today, Warmen perform regularly, although selectively, alongside the members’ various other musical commitments.

The audience received exactly what they had come to see.

The band delivered an energetic, upbeat and thoroughly entertaining death metal set that immediately got the crowd moving. Mosh pits formed within minutes, hands filled the air and fans remained fully engaged throughout the performance.

Even as temperatures continued to drop, the atmosphere in front of the stage only became hotter.

Everything about the performance lived up to expectations. The band sounded tight, appeared to be genuinely enjoying themselves and never lost control of the audience’s attention.

The concert concluded with Warmen’s well-known cover of “Somebody’s Watching Me,” which turned into one of the biggest singalongs of the evening. Fans enthusiastically joined in, giving the band a thunderous ovation as they left the stage.

Illdisposed proved why they’re still Danish death metal royalty

As the evening grew darker and a light drizzle began falling over Vaskiluoto once again, it was time to head back to the second stage for Danish death metal veterans Illdisposed.

By this point, the long festival day was beginning to catch up with me physically. Hours spent on my feet had certainly taken their toll, but the audience showed no signs of slowing down. A healthy crowd had gathered in front of the stage, eager to welcome one of Denmark’s longest-running death metal bands.

Illdisposed introduced themselves with a smile as representatives of traditional Danish death metal—a description that perfectly matched what followed.

Their performance was exactly what fans had come to expect: heavy, uncompromising and firmly rooted in old-school death metal traditions.

The set also produced one of the funniest moments of the day.

After the vocalist proudly mentioned that the band represented Danish death metal, someone in the audience suddenly shouted:

“Haaland! Haaland!”

The football-related chant quickly spread through the crowd, prompting laughter from both the audience and the band alike. It was one of those wonderfully absurd festival moments that simply happen when thousands of metal fans gather in one place.

Despite the dark and brutal music, the atmosphere remained relaxed and cheerful throughout the performance.

Although my own energy levels were beginning to fade after an eventful day, it was great to see Illdisposed receive such a warm welcome from the festival audience.

Anette Olzon brought Nightwish nostalgia to Kaaos Festival

The second-to-last act on the main stage was former Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon.

By now, the rain had intensified considerably, but once again the weather failed to drive people away from the stage.

For many in attendance, this wasn’t simply another concert.

It was a journey back in time.

Olzon’s set focused entirely on material from her years with Nightwish, featuring songs from the albums “Dark Passion Play” and “Imaginaerum”. Judging by the expressions on many faces throughout the audience, these songs still carried tremendous emotional weight nearly two decades after their original release.

Unfortunately, technical difficulties delayed the beginning of the performance, forcing the band to shorten the planned set. Throughout the concert, Olzon also experienced occasional problems with her in-ear monitors.

Thankfully, none of these issues overshadowed the performance itself.

Radiating warmth and genuine happiness, Olzon captivated the audience with her smile and once again demonstrated why her voice remains closely associated with one of Nightwish’s most beloved eras.

The emotional highlight arrived with the closing song, “Storytime.”

As the rain continued to fall over Vaskiluoto, the combination of nostalgia, familiar melodies and thousands of fans singing along transported me straight back to my teenage years.

It was one of those festival moments that genuinely gives you goosebumps.

Before leaving the stage, Olzon surprised the audience by revealing that she will return to Finland for another performance next winter.

Rotten Sound unleashed pure grindcore chaos

Closing the second stage was hometown grindcore powerhouse Rotten Sound.

Their set focused primarily on the classic albums “Murderworks” and “Exit”, immediately launching into a relentless barrage of blisteringly fast grindcore.

There was no easing into the performance.

From the very first note, the band attacked with full force, sending the crowd into complete chaos.

During the set, Rotten Sound also took time to honor the late Mieszko Talarczyk, who produced both of the featured albums. Another song was dedicated to former drummer Kai “Kaitsu” Hahto, who watched the performance from backstage.

The audience responded exactly as expected.

Mosh pits spun almost continuously throughout the set, while one particularly enthusiastic section of the crowd even organized a rowing pit, much to everyone’s amusement.

Despite this being the second consecutive festival day, fatigue was nowhere to be seen among the audience. If anything, Rotten Sound sparked one of the biggest energy explosions of the entire weekend on the second stage.

Frontman Keijo Niinimaa repeatedly thanked festival organizer Arto Mäenpää, praising Kaaos Festival as an outstanding event.

When the band left the stage, however, the audience refused to let them go quietly.

Loud chants echoed across the festival grounds until Rotten Sound returned for an encore, providing one final grindcore assault before attention shifted to the weekend’s closing headliner.

Beast in Black closed the festival in spectacular fashion

The honor of closing Kaaos Festival 2026 fell to Finnish power metal powerhouse Beast in Black, led by guitarist Anton Kabanen.

Even after two full days of live music, the audience still had plenty of energy left. As the band took over the main stage, thousands of fans packed the area one final time, ready to celebrate the festival’s grand finale.

Once again, Beast in Black delivered exactly what fans have come to expect.

Their performance was a visual spectacle filled with impressive lighting, pyrotechnics and clouds of smoke, all perfectly complementing the band’s energetic stage presence. Having seen the band several times before, it was no surprise to witness yet another flawless live performance. They continue to prove why they have become one of Finland’s most successful modern metal exports.

Frontman Yannis Papadopoulos once again demonstrated why he is considered one of the finest vocalists in today’s power metal scene. His powerful voice remained impeccable throughout the performance, while his charismatic stage presence kept the audience engaged from beginning to end.

Despite the long weekend, the crowd never lost its enthusiasm. Mosh pits continued to erupt throughout the set, proving that festivalgoers still had plenty left in the tank.

During the concert, Papadopoulos also reminisced about the band’s previous visits to Vaasa, reminding the audience that Beast in Black has performed in the city several times over the years.

One thing that differed from some of the band’s previous performances was the absence of the fireworks that have occasionally accompanied their headline shows.

If there was one small observation to make regarding the setlist, it was the placement of “Blind and Frozen.”

Performing arguably their biggest hit as the second-to-last song felt somewhat unusual. The song elevated the atmosphere to incredible heights, creating what felt like the perfect finale. Personally, I couldn’t help but think it would have worked even better as the final song of the evening.

Instead, “No Surrender” closed both the concert and the festival.

While it certainly provided a strong ending, it didn’t quite match the emotional peak that “Blind and Frozen” had created just moments earlier.

Even so, Beast in Black delivered a worthy conclusion to an outstanding festival weekend, sending thousands of satisfied fans home with smiles on their faces.

A festival that already feels established

Looking back at the weekend as a whole, what stands out most isn’t any single performance—it’s the atmosphere.

Throughout both days, Kaaos Festival maintained an incredibly warm, welcoming and community-driven spirit. Every band attracted an enthusiastic audience, regardless of the stage or time of day, and there was a genuine sense that people had come not only to see their favorite artists but also to discover new ones.

The festival grounds themselves never felt overcrowded, the organization ran smoothly despite a few unavoidable schedule changes, and the overall mood remained positive from the opening performance on Friday until the final notes of Beast in Black on Saturday night.

Considering this was only the second edition of Kaaos Festival, the event already feels remarkably mature.

It successfully combines an intimate atmosphere with a lineup capable of attracting internationally recognized artists, while still giving emerging bands the opportunity to perform alongside established names.

If this year’s edition is any indication of what’s to come, Kaaos Festival has every chance of becoming one of Finland’s most important annual metal festivals.