Pain of Salvation to return to Finland after ten years as Ankea Festival announces seven new acts

Ankea Festival, set to take place in Tampere, Finland, on June 18–19, 2027, has announced seven new additions to its lineup. The latest announcement includes Pain of Salvation, Plini, Einar Solberg, Heretoir, Slow Crush, Sara, and Noiduin.

Among the newly announced acts, Swedish progressive metal pioneers Pain of Salvation stand out as a particularly rare sight in Finland. The band will return to the country for the first time in ten years. Having performed live only sporadically in recent years, Pain of Salvation released their latest studio album in 2020. The group is especially known for its early 2000s albums “The Perfect Element, Part I” and “Remedy Lane”.

Australian guitarist Plini will also perform at the festival, bringing his distinctive blend of instrumental progressive rock and metal. Having previously played at venues such as Tavastia and Kulttuuritalo in Helsinki, the musician will make his second appearance in Tampere with his band.

Einar Solberg, best known as the vocalist of Norwegian progressive metal band Leprous, will return to Ankea Festival as a solo artist. After performing at last year’s festival with Leprous, Solberg will now showcase material from his new album “Vox Occulta”.

German post-metal outfit Heretoir will make their first appearance in Finland in ten years. The band was also among the most requested artists in Ankea Festival’s audience survey. Meanwhile, Belgian shoegaze group Slow Crush will make their Finnish festival debut.

The Finnish additions include Sara, who are preparing to release a new album in January, and Noiduin, whose dark folk music incorporates traditional Finnish instruments. The latter has recently attracted growing international attention.

Ankea Festival made its debut on June 5–6, 2026, at Hiedanranta in Tampere, attracting approximately 4,000 visitors over two days. According to the organizers, ticket sales for the 2027 edition are currently running well ahead of last year’s figures.

Previously announced performers include Igorrr, Alcest, Kalandra, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, and Long Distance Calling, among others. More artists will be announced at a later date.

Ankea Festival 2027 – announced lineup so far

• Igorrr (France)
• Alcest (France)
• Pain of Salvation (Sweden)
• Plini (Australia)
• Einar Solberg (Norway)
• Kalandra (Norway/Sweden)
• Sara (Finland)
• Der Weg Einer Freiheit (Germany)
• Long Distance Calling (Germany)
• Vulkan (Sweden)
• Slow Crush (Belgium)
• Karmanjakah (Sweden)
• Noiduin (Finland)
• Heretoir (Germany)

Ankea Festival will take place at Hiedanranta in Tampere, Finland, on June 18–19, 2027. Two-day tickets start at €169.90 and are available through Tiketti. Single-day tickets will go on sale at a later date.