| 66°09.95”N | |
| 29°09.09”E | Finland |
Solstice Festival is a gathering for people who enjoy music, art and nature, preferably combined. It takes place during midsummer (20.-22.6.) in northern Finland next to the Arctic Circle. The festival site, Rukatunturi, is an arctic fjeld which rises half a kilometer above sea level, giving people picturesque views over pine trees and lakes.
That time of the year combined with the northern location means the sun doesn’t set at all, creating a unique atmosphere — a celebration of light and life.
Welcome To Solstice 2024. Below you'll find all essential information during the festival.
With its magnificent views and unreal atmosphere created by the midnight Sun, Solstice Festival can feel like an extended dream. This feeling is enhanced with a carefully curated music program featuring international guests, domestic heroes and rising talents spread across three stages.
Below you’ll find the music lineup. For the day-to-day program please click here.
What happens when baile funk has a passion child with techno? Satirical love songs? Maybe. But not satirical as in dumb, but satirical as in fun. Amor Satyr makes the club turn up on a Tuesday. Or a Thursday. Or on any day for that matter. This prolific French producer makes music that just works. So well.
While resisting the urge to say “Jungle is massive” in a paragraph about a deejay who plays Jungle music, one must acknowledge that the music here does indeed evoke massive feelings.
Oulu native ATI makes the amen break and the heart rattle.
Brooklyn heavy-hitter Aurora Halal is a master of that shadowy, hypnodelic groove thing, with an attention to detail which makes tracks feed into each other in a seamless dreamlike state of pure being, lost in an intergalactic… sorry, got a bit carried away there. She’s really good, that’s all.
Halal also sprinkles that same magic through the Mutual Dreaming party series and Sustain-Release, the intimate community festival in upstate New York she co-runs. Did someone say US dance music icon?
From the heat of Bogotá and Miami, guided by the sounds of Colombian guaracha and Venezuelan raptor house, Bitter Babe does the opposite of what her name might suggest: plays sweet, sweet music.
BItter Babe is part of the swankiest movement going on at the moment, led by the TraTraTrax collective and label which she's a part of. Tribal and dembow drum workouts coupled with lush atmospherics on one end and rowdy energy on the other, touching on trance, reggaeton, and techno. This music just lifts you up (figuratively and literally). If you love drums and the heat of the drums, this one’s for you.
From time immemorial people have shown that you only need a few ingredients to conjure up something great. Cucina Povera continues to prove that point.
With hauntingly beautiful releases on Vladimir Ivkovic’s Offen Music and Austria’s staple of experimental electronic music Editions Mego, to name a couple, Cucina Povera has positioned herself well among what’s been and what’s yet to come, using little more than her own voice and minimal synth lines. Subtle expressions of grandness.
Helsinki’s new PoP (Prince of Prog).
As one of the key figures behind club0, DJ JVS and the gang have taken our local community by storm in the past couple of years, showing everyone where the rooster crows from. JVS’s own deejay sets are usually an amalgamation of trippy, driving and euphoria-inducing passages, perfect for the darkening evenings of the harvest moon.
Bored by the conventions of deejaying, DJ Marcelle presents music in a way that makes sound occupy a space or mental state rather than purely with the intention of making people dance. Unbothered by tempo changes and genre jumps, her DJing resembles the work of a painter.
But don't get us wrong, she is more than able to make butts wiggle and hips jiggle, albeit maybe in a different manner than most. A sense of tongue in cheek is at play here (d’uh), and the anticipation will have people standing on their toes, wondering where she will go next with the three turntables in front of her. “Another nice mess” is how she describes it. This one's for adventurous souls.
Sometimes all that's left for us to do is: smoke it.
Madrid raised, DJ and producer Digge Shim. aka Dip Shim, relocated to Malmö some years back and found his calling in the reincarnation of electro through his relentless output of acid- flavored 303 jams. Besides establishing the Malmø Traxx label, he also previously ran Malmö’s foremost record shop for electronic dance music.
As Digge Shim, his work is focused on medieval-ambient inspired by Gregorian chants, leftfield experiments and downtempo, all of which takes forefront for this live set that will trip your mind out into an unexpected spiritual journey.
“Me and Toma, we are brothers,
brothers from a different father
Me and Emma, we are brothers,
brothers from a different mother.”
“Together we can play, together we can play
Like brothers do, like brothers do”
Now, the copywriter would like to offer their apologies for borrowing a few lines from DAF. But hey, they fit.
EMMA DJ and Toma Kami are wiiiild and they make people go wiiiild.
Erisan (born November 6) is a producer and sound designer based in Helsinki whose music consists of sounds like POH-POH-PAHH! T-T-T-T-TSS! eeeeeEEEEDXJG! DaDaDaDa! BOOM! tik tik tik tiktiktiktik! TUMM TUMM! and also BRRRRRRRR!.
Chicago deejay Eris Drew embodies the thrilling sense of dance music in the moment of collective ecstasy.
Delicately hand picked selection of cherries, berries, and dreams.
You’ll never know exactly what’s in his record Baggs (sorry). House and techno maestro Evan Baggs takes the scenic route with that kind of music. Twisted left turn grooves that'll make you dust off ye olde dancing shoes.
If you’re looking to wine up and wile out, look no further. Viktor Kalima’s side project Ferdelance zones in on what could be called an industrial dancehall sound, and other dembow related beatwork. If you want a pure 45min example, there’s a live club recording available through our bio (and that sick ass EP he put out a few years ago). Should be all you need.
Ferdelance live at Solstice 2024 for your ‘get buck’ needs.
Rugged, ruthless and intoxicating. No holds barred.
Felisha Ledesma is a sound artist and musician currently based in Malmö, Sweden. A distinctly warm and organic palette permeates Ledesma’s work, each moment slowly unfolding into an intimate aural experience. Inspirations from the everyday are distilled into sonic memories that invite a meditative and deep listening.
Soundcloud
Glayden’s on that big tip. He goes hard and makes it work. No second thoughts, no holds barred — you want it, you get it, aaaaight?
Operating some liminal space between slowdive and a meditation practice, with nods to Bowery Electric. Where grunge-y meets sponge-y. This is pure sonic bliss.
Avalon Unbounded, Bobby Forester, Deks Dekster, dRUMMAN, Electromantic, Zyntherius. These are just some of the aliases Jori Hulkkonen has used during his career spanning over 30 years. From heart wrenching synth pop to Detroit inspired techno, deep house, and straight up electro, Jori is an unbounded force of nature and a gift to the world.
We gathered a 30-track Youtube playlist of originals and remixes to honor this hero’s journey (link in bio). For Solstice 2024, Jori the yogi revives his dRUMMAN alias after a 12 (?) year break. Expect raw machine drum workouts and sequenced synth delight.
When you need your techno to go beneath surface level and tingle some psychic senses, you call Kaspiann. Reviving some of the sonics from golden era Northern Electronics (not to say it ain’t still that), Kaspiann’s music oozes with heady ethereal sensibility while keeping it driving and focused. Here’s a master of his domain. And with don’s like Dozzy rinsing his tracks, it’s hard to argue against.
From the Australian outback a sound echoes. It calls upon those who peak their ear out. Can you hear it? Can you feel it? It’s Kia.
Psychosomatic sonics that multiple, take you high, and make you… touch the sky? Perhaps. Kia slays, big time. And it’s no wonder: she puts in the time to steadily release music through her label Animalia, deejays basically every single weekend, and keeps curating two almost weekly podcast mix series: Animix and Ani/live. That’s what’s up.
Can there be movement within stillness? Surely, and Kinzua has got the recipe for that. Hamburg x Leipzig music-lifers Lucas Brell and Qnete have been cooking up this stew with patience and care... with occasional tastings here and there. And soon... it’s time for the full course meal.
Don’t let the name fool ya. Krash Bandicute does it raw, and with style. A lifelong music head with her skin in the game.
Laura MRLS is the co-founder of event and podcast series Synae and runs the show Affine Dark Science in IDA Helsinki radio frequencies. As a proponent of darker sounds, Laura finds comfort through layered sonic fabrics that are intimidating at first glance but ultimately cathartic, adding into what is in the best of cases a mystic sensory experience.
For Solstice 2024 we finally get to hear their own music through her live performance.
LEONE CEDI carry the torch of soulful pop music, bridging the gap between the 60s and 2020s. Oozing with sex, dripping with tears.
“If you will suck my soul, I will lick your funky emotions”
After years performing in indie bands, MALLA realised she needed to focus on her solo stuff. Having released an album on the poppier side of disco and house influenced sounds, for Solstice 2024 Malla teams up with jazz dummer and percussionist Tatu Rönkkö for a special experimental tip.
MALLA / Tatu Rönkkö
A sonic wiz in every sense of the word. We know it, you know, and he'll show it.
Intergalactic techno transmitting Voyager type signals. Will they find the golden record? Or are we just lost in space. Otilia is here to find out.
Hypno Techno's finest at the moment. Berlin-based, Helsinki-raised Paula Koski is doing things right with engaging deejay sets and the club night INTERLINK she runs with fellow technohead CEB.
Peachy as f**k. Techy, flavourful, and lush, balanced perfectly between the feet and soul.
Leave it up to Passion to show you that that life’s a Peach.
After Swedish artist Rivet's debut album On Feather and Wire – released 20 years into his career at the end of 2020 on the revered Editions Mego label – surprised and delighted with its punk spirit, industrial pulse, sensual atmospherics, and body music flavor, we get a better sense of what he’s capable of. Hinted at by his work as the body music enthusiast behind Kess Kill record label and the years honing his production skills first as Grovskopa and then as Rivet, his current sound has a sophisticated slink and a surprisingly accessible twist of pop, while still recognizable in its dance music lineage.
Class, classics and ecstatics. Bongos, congas and thongas. Scandalous ravey house music that you can’t escape, nor will you want to.
Barelona collective MARICAS affiliated siblings THC and DHC are here to make you baila. And you will never need no other.
The evergreen Sansi stream. Always psyched and happy to have the local-not-so-local hero to showcase what’s in his record bag at the moment.
A straight up Helsinki staple with one of the longest resumes in his generation of deejays. Never a dull moment when Sebastian Holm’s hands are on the controls.
When two friends of over two decades intertwine in music, the results can be beautiful, or even go beyond beauty. Touching on dub, IDM and trip hop, Space Afrika’s intimate “ambient” music feels as personal as a parent’s guiding advice to a child.
“Oblique mosaics of dialogue, rhythm, texture and shadow, half-heard through a bus window on a rainy night.”
Manchester duo Space Afrika will be performing live in the Kelo tent at Solstice 2024. Dive into their music through these links and you too might be “Kissing on these raindrops”.
Doo wee reeaaallly neeed to say anything about Spekki Webu that you haven’t experienced? Oh yeah, that he’s playing live on the Peak stage. That’s surely the first one. Breathe the pressure.
There’s a saying that the youth is wasted on the young. Well, there’s no wasting here. On point selection and a dedication to the thing… that makes… us move.
What do House, Techno, Electro, Breakbeat, and Acid have in common? They all shine when Vlada puts them on the plate.
Step gently into "Luminescence," where the sun doesn't just shine, but plays. Here, each installation engages in a distinct dialogue with the intangible, bending not just space but perceptions.
Amid the sparse shadows and the endless beams, light crafts fleeting glimpses that belong to the arctic edges. Keep your eyes wide for the eclectic panorama beneath the midnight sun.
Eetu Sihvonen lives and works in Helsinki. They often work with wood, metal, and objects created with digital tools like 3D modeling and animating. At Solstice Sihvonen presents “7 Sinners”, an installation featuring sculptures made from charred wood and 3D printed soy-based resin. The pieces, illuminated by the rays of the nightless night, evoke the lingering joy of nocturnal gatherings, reluctant to end.
At Solstice 2024 Eetu Sihvonen blends rustic and regal in his installation, "7 Sinners." Featuring seven charred trees alongside seven individual sculptures, their work merges the simple charm of peasant furniture with the complexity of ornate Baroque frames. The pieces, illuminated by dawn's hesitant light, evoke the lingering joy of nocturnal gatherings, reluctant to end.
"Our mission? Become the light—yeah," state Mikael Rantanen and Elias Langi. Their "Big Slurp" installation merges charred wood, wind chimes, and lightning into a sound sculpture that explores circadian rhythms, inspired by Henri Lefebvre's Rhythmanalysis. It syncs with the universal pulse, keeping the beat alive, sun up or not.
Elias Langi is a visual artist and writer, Mikael Rantanen is a sound designer and producer. These Helsinki-based artists form a duo for Solstice 2024. Their installation “Big Slurp” merges charred wood, wind chimes and lighting into a sound sculpture that explores circadian rhythms, inspired by Henri Lefebvre’s Rhythmanalysis.
Henna Haarala is a Helsinkian artist, designer, and art director known for her boundary-crossing work in visual storytelling and design contrasts. Haarala’s installation for Solstice “Aurora Isn’t Interested in Borders” depicts dawn as Aurora in a collage relief with its bursting seams symbolizing the limitless nature of light and reflecting on boundaries.
Henna Haarala’s ‘Aurora Isn’t Interested in Borders’ depicts dawn as Aurora in a collage relief. The artwork and its bursting seams symbolize the limitless nature of light and reflect on boundaries, urging viewers to explore personal limits and embrace a boundless existence, much like Aurora’s pervasive presence.
Inari Sandell is a Lahti-born, Helsinki-based multidisciplinary visual artist. Their lens-based and sculptural work often takes form as installations, combining photography and moving image with textile, metal and castings. At Solstice 2024, Sandell presents “Afterimage”, an exploration of abiding visions left by sunlight in an unique, lens-based and sculptural installation.
Inari Sandell's "Afterimage" explores the abiding visions left by sunlight in a unique, lens-based and sculptural installation. Combining site-specific textiles with photographic elements, this artwork captures the haunting allure of the sun’s afterglow. It invites viewers to reflect on the fleeting images that continue to echo in our sight, long after looking away.
Ruka presents the perfect opportunity to get in touch with nature. The area’s national parks together with Ruka-Kuusamo’s services, hiking trails and outdoor activities make sure that there’s plenty of options for everyone - for those of us who like to enjoy nature by slowing down as well as those who like to get wild in the wilderness.
The area’s national parks together with Ruka-Kuusamo’s services, hiking trails and outdoor activities make sure that there’s plenty of options for everyone. From mountain biking and the soaring zip line to bird watching, swimming and hiking, there are so many things to do — something for everyone’s taste and budget. And of course, the summer sledge is guaranteed fun, every year. For everything about activities, hop onto Ruka Ski Resort’s own website.
Solstice 2024 takes place on Rukatunturi, a 500-meter high fell located in Kuusamo, northern Finland. You can get there by bus, train, airplane or car. From below you’ll find our tips whether traveling from Finland or abroad.
Domestic travel
Travellers from southern Finland can take the charter bus from Helsinki to Ruka, departing on Wednesday/Thursday and returning on Sunday.
Train travel to Oulu and bus transfer is another option, with a new charter bus from Oulu that matches flight arrivals. Alternatively, take a Matkahuolto operated bus from Oulu to Ruka.
Tickets for Solstice charter buses available on Tiketti. Schedule below.
Train and other bus schedules and tickets available on VR, and Matkahuolto.
International travel
Helsinki is accessible from most major cities, and the simplest option to reach Ruka is by Solstice charter bus from Helsinki on Wednesday/Thursday, returning on Sunday.
Another option is to take a train/flight to Oulu and transfer by Solstice charter bus on Wed 19.6 or take a Matkahuolto operated bus from Oulu to Ruka. Flying to Kuusamo and taking the airport shuttle or taxi to Ruka is also an option.
Tickets for charter buses available on Tiketti. Schedule below.
Train and other bus schedules and tickets available on VR, and Matkahuolto.
Hel - Ruka - Hel Bus
Helsinki-Ruka: Wed 19.6. at 07:00 Kaikukatu 2, Helsinki, arriving approx. at 19:00.
Helsinki-Ruka: Thu 20.6. at 07:00 Kaikukatu 2, Helsinki, arriving approx. at 19:00.
Ruka-Helsinki: Sun 23.6. at 15:00 MastonAitio, 15:15 RukaValley klo 15:30 RukaVillage (Kumpare bus stop), Ruka.
Buses from Helsinki stop at grocery store K-Citymarket Kuusamo on the way to Ruka.
Oulu - Ruka - Oulu Bus
Oulu-Ruka: Wed 19.6. 18:55 Oulu Airport, 19:30 Oulu bus station, arriving approx. at 22:00
Ruka-Oulu: Sun 23.6. at 8:30 MastonAitio, 8:45 RukaValley 9:00, RukaVillage, arriving at 12:30 to Oulu Airport and 13:00 at Oulu bus station.
There are many options to stay around the Ruka area, from cozy apartment hotel rooms to spacious nature- side villas. We’ve picked the most convenient ones for you to choose from with special pricing through Tiketti. You’ll find pictures, details and booking links through the map below.
Nature lover’s peaceful paradise. Cottage-like Lapland atmosphere at the elegant Masto area, surrounded by nature. The apartment features a private sauna, fireplace and terrace.
60m²
4+2 beds
15min walk to festival site
2000m to services of Ruka Village
Cottage-like atmosphere in two stories in eastern Ruka, at the peaceful Masto area, surrounded by nature. The apartment features a private sauna, fireplace and terrace.
70m²
6+2 beds
3 bedrooms
15min walk to festival site
2000m to services of Ruka Village
Peaceful semi-detached cottages with space for the whole crew. Nature lover’s Lapland atmosphere at the elegant Masto area, surrounded by nature. The apartment features a private sauna, fireplace and terrace.
80m²
6+2 beds
15min walk to festival site
2000m to services of Ruka Village
High-quality hotel accommodation at the heart of Ruka, right next to the services of Ruka Village. A well-equipped hotel room with a compact kitchenette, private sauna, bathtub and balcony. Breakfast is included.
33m²
2+1 beds
0m to services of Ruka Village
5 minutes to festival site with a ski-lift and 15min by foot.
A spacious two-bedroom holiday apartment in the center of Ruka village. Located right next to the slopes and services, RukaVillage60 apartment is suitable for example for two couples. The well-equipped apartment features a private sauna with a bathroom, two separate WCs and two balconies. The apartment has a living room and kitchen area and two separate bedrooms with twin beds.
60m²
4+2 beds
0m to services of Ruka Village
5 minutes to festival site with a ski-lift and 15min by foot.
High-quality holiday at the heart of Ruka, right next to slopes and services. The gem of this two-bedroom apartment is the spacious sauna department and a balcony with a jacuzzi.
88m²
6+2 beds
0m to services of Ruka Village
50m to trail
High-quality holiday at the heart of Ruka, right next to slopes and services. The gem of this two-bedroom apartment is the spacious sauna department and heated balcony with a jacuzzi.
70m²
4+2 beds
0m to services of Ruka Village
5 minutes to festival site with a ski-lift and 15min by foot.
All-time Ruka classic. A Compact yet spacious apartment next to all the services in Ruka village.
43m²
4+2 beds
2 bedrooms
0m to services of Ruka Village
5 minutes to festival site with a ski-lift and 15min by foot.
The bigger one of the all-time Ruka classic apartments. A three-bedroom apartment located right next to all services in Ruka village.
55m²
6+2 beds
3 bedrooms
2 WCs
0m to services of Ruka Village
5 minutes to festival site with a ski-lift and 15min by foot.
Spacious double room Aurinkorinne33 apartments have that cosy cottage feel, close to the Ruka village, next to Talvijärvi lake.
33m²
2+2 beds
5 min to festival site with ski-lift from Ruka village, 15min by foot.
4 min walk to Ruka village.
Cosy cottage-like family apartments with a fireplace, private sauna and a balcony, conveniently located close to Ruka village and right next to Talvijärvi lake.
49m²
4+2 beds
5 min to festival site with ski-lift from Ruka village, 15min by foot.
4 min walk to Ruka village.
Cottage-like two-bedroom apartment with cosy decoration and a fireplace, overlooking Talvijärvi lake and located close to Ruka village.
55m²
4+2 beds
5 min to festival site with ski-lift from Ruka village, 20min by foot.
4 min walk to Ruka village.
Ideal group apartment by the lake offering a nice spot for swimming and a summertime beach. Peace and quiet right by nature.
43m²
3+1 beds
8 min to festival site with the ski-lift from Ruka Village and 18min by foot
6 min to Ruka Village
Cottage-like two-bedroom apartment by the lake offering a spot for winter ice swimming and a summertime beach. Peace and quiet by the nature, and your favourite ski trail right next to you.
51m²
4+2 beds
8 min walk to festival site using the ski-lift from Ruka Village, 24mins by foot.
6 min walk to Ruka Village.
Brand new and cozy hotel room with a private sauna and a kitchenette. An appetizing breakfast is included. Located right next to Valtavaara Nature Reserve.
28m²
2 beds
0min to grocery store
20min to festival site by foot, 10min with ski lift via Ruka Village
1280m to services of Ruka Village (8min with ski lift)
Spacious, high-ceiling apartment, with comfortable twin loft bed, private entrance and small terrace, located right next to Valtavaara Nature Reserve.
32m²
4 beds
0min to grocery store
20min to festival site by foot, 10min with ski lift via Ruka Village
1280m to services of Ruka Village (8min with ski lift)
This apartment comes with a spacious sauna department, two bedrooms and a kitchen island. From your private balcony, you will have a view over the Ruka valley nature.
48m²
4 beds
0min to grocery store
20min to festival site by foot, 10min with ski lift via Ruka Village
1280m to services of Ruka Village (8min with ski lift)
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