Katatonia to perform “The Great Cold Distance” in full at Finland’s new Ankea Festival – lineup expands with This Will Destroy You, SLIFT and Rioghan

Finland’s brand-new Ankea Festival has announced four major additions to its 2026 lineup – and the reveal includes something truly special. Swedish melancholic metal pioneers Katatonia will headline the event with an extremely rare 20th anniversary performance of their modern classic “The Great Cold Distance.”

Released in 2006, “The Great Cold Distance” is widely regarded as one of Katatonia’s most important works, a milestone that redefined the band’s sound and helped shape the landscape of melancholic progressive metal. The album’s full live performance has been offered only a handful of times worldwide, making the Ankea appearance a unique opportunity for European fans.

Post-rock rarity and first-ever Finnish appearance from SLIFT

The festival continues to build an impressively curated lineup of progressive, atmospheric and avant-garde heavy music. Among the newly added artists is American post-rock giant This Will Destroy You, who will play in Finland for only the second time ever. Their last Finnish show took place in 2009, and the band’s return is expected to be one of the festival’s emotional highlights.

One of Europe’s most buzzed-about psychedelic rock bands, French trio SLIFT, will perform their first Finnish show in history at Ankea Festival. Known for their explosive live performances and genre-bending cosmic sound, SLIFT has risen rapidly through the ranks of modern psych-rock.

Rounding out the announcement is Finnish progressive metal act Rioghan, set to release a new EP in spring 2026.

A new home for progressive and alternative heavy music

Ankea Festival will debut in Tampere, Finland, on June 5–6, 2026, at the industrial surroundings of Hiedanranta’s factory square. The event focuses on progressive metal, post-rock, alternative rock and other sonically adventurous styles, aiming to attract several thousand attendees during its inaugural edition. Festival area details, food and beverage offerings, and side programming will be revealed in early 2026.

With today’s additions, Ankea Festival has now announced 16 of its 21 total performers. The final five artists will be revealed in February.

Ankea Festival 2026 – confirmed artists so far

Katatonia – “The Great Cold Distance” 20th Anniversary Show (SE)
Ihsahn (NO)
This Will Destroy You (US)
God Is An Astronaut (IE)
Oranssi Pazuzu (FI)
SLIFT (FR)
Kaelan Mikla (IS)
Green Carnation (NO)
Circle (FI)
A.A. Williams (UK)
Bruce Soord (UK)
Earthside (US)
Ihlo (UK)
Vermilia (FI)
Virta (plays “Hurmos”) (FI)
Rioghan (FI)

More artists will be announced in February.

Tickets

Two-day tickets are available now via Tiketti starting at 149.90 €:
https://www.tiketti.fi/ankeafestival