Steelfest to open new store in Helsinki later this month

Finnish extreme metal festival Steelfest is expanding its operations beyond the festival grounds by opening its own physical store in Helsinki. According to Finnish newspaper Aamuposti, the new shop will initially operate three days a week and serves both logistical and marketing purposes.

Festival co-owner Jani Laine explains that Steelfest’s merchandise operations have grown significantly in recent years. As a result, the new store allows the festival to centralize storage and offer a physical pickup point for its online shop orders.

“Our merchandise operations have expanded a lot. I currently have several rooms filled with products, plus additional external storage spaces. This way we can centralize everything into one location and offer a pickup point for our webstore,” Laine tells Aamuposti.

In addition, the store will function as a permanent physical presence for the festival throughout the year.

“We also gain a physical marketing space where people can meet us outside of the festival itself, not just once a year,” Laine adds.

Store opening next to Kvlt Shop

The store, named Steel, will officially open on January 30 on Iso Roobertinkatu in Helsinki. Notably, it will be located right next to Kvlt Shop, a record store specializing in black metal.

Laine says the proximity is intentional and mutually beneficial.

“I already know the people behind Kvlt, and of course we’ve discussed this. We both see that together we are much stronger than separately. Where Kvlt Shop’s band merchandise selection ends, ours begins. We complement each other very well.”

Steelfest returns in May 2026

Meanwhile, Steelfest itself will return to its traditional location at Villatehdas in Hyvinkää on May 14–16, 2026. The upcoming edition will feature a strong lineup of extreme metal acts, including Beherit, Revenge, Tormentor, Satanic Warmaster, Forteresse, Inquisition, Holocausto, Akhlys, and Lifelover, among others.

You can read more about the next year’s festival here.