AN EXPERIENCE OF MUSIC AND ART IN A HIGH PLAIN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE SUN NEVER SETS.
Solstice Festival is a gathering for people who enjoy music, art and nature, preferably combined. It takes place during midsummer (23.-25.6) 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.
Do you promise to funk? The whole funk, nothing but the funk. RTS definitely does. The Parisian has kept a steady following of people who love to get down and boogie as well as musical conoisseurs looking for the next unknown perfect beat.
The Mutual Intentions head honcho has in the recent years popped up on the flyers for more and more clubs around Europe, as well as being on his own tours in both Japan and Australia. From previously being associated a lot with soulful and jazz-influenced deep house and disco, his fetish for obscurities like what he calls ‘stock sound house’ have lately dragged him down in a balearic spaghetti of amateur and private press club music. ‘Soulful and energettic electronic music with waaay too much edge to it’ is how he explains his most recent purchases.
Mortar Devotions is a collaboration between Nona Et Decima (Manuele Frau, Nicholas Pucciarelli) and Aleksei Tsernjavski alias Огни. Based in Helsinki, the trio gave life in 2020 to "Operazione Piovra: The Lead Chronicles", a work inspired by the darkest pages of Italian history, "years of lead" and the war between mafia and government in particular. Their debut album has been released by the experimental label Eighth Tower Records, curated by Raffaele Pezzella aka Sonologyst.
Mortar Devotion's music is solidly rooted in the industrial and noise scenes, taking inspiration from artists like Vatican Shadow, and Muslimgauze to name a few. Thanks to an extremely cinematic approach derived from their love of Italian soundtracks composers like Morricone, Frizzi, and the progressive band Goblin, they have created an extraordinarily original sound, which could be called "Industrial Moving Pictures", mixing distorted drum beats, claustrophobic synths and harsh electric guitars.
Photo: Soko Hwang
The thunder from down under. Australian native Lauren Hansom has been bending musical rules with oddball selections weaving through genres and eras across the continents. Her unprecedented approach to narrating dance floors has brought her quickly into the club and festival circuit making appearances at Dekmantel’s Lente Kabinet, Kala Festival, De School, Salon des Amateurs, Horst Music & Arts Festival and Opium Club to name just a few.
Laura MRLS is the co-founder of event and podcast series SYNAĒ and a resident at techno multi-platform Monument. As a proponent of darker sounds, Laura finds comfort through layered sonic fabrics, adding into what is in the best of cases a mystic sensory experience.
Soundcloud / Instagram
There’s no equivalent to PLO Man. The Canadian who has called Berlin home for the past decade or so, weaves together the best in American and European dance music without conforming to the clichés, but is instead guided by an explicit taste and the knowledge of his records to simply create magic.
Lena Willikens and Vladimir Ivkovic have known each other for over 15 years sparking up a friendship at Düsseldorf's Salon Des Amaterus and by now having played countless times together, which is clear in their instinctive sets as they constantly nudge each other in unexpected ways. Sharing a mutual curiosity and a knack for out-there sounds, they're joint sets are a thing to behold.
Soundcloud (Willikens) / Soundcloud (Ivkovic)
Instagram (Willikens) / Instagram (Ivkovic)
The groovemaster. The Techno Interests me -guy. The label boss of Avoidance. Antti Salonen wears quite a few hats and that has certainly helped him get the recognition he deserves and has earned. You need to hear him play to get a sense though. There’s no use in explaining it. Those who know, know. And those who don’t, will.
Soundcloud / Instagram
Avoiding Ben UFO’s name has been nearly impossible in the past 11 years with the Hessle Audio co-founder hitting every good spot around the globe.
From the UK pirate radio sound circling around 2-step, dubstep and jungle, and the style that spawned from those, the loosely defined UK Funky, Ben’s repertoire has always combined his early influences with the more worldwide house and techno sounds, arguably contributing to his success beyond the Queen’s original land.
During the past decade Ben has shaped up to be a dance music chameleon, feeling at home on big stages as well as small intimate spaces.
Is it ok to use the phrase “deejay’s deejay” again?
Soundcloud / Instagram
"I try to focus on providing the ‘background music’ for people who want to have their own crazy time".
A few years back Powder used to work for an electronics company in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, all the while producing lush and primal, dreamy yet powerful house music that veers to the left, for labels such as ESP Institute and Born Free Records. Today however, her mesmerizing dj sets and a string of high quality releases have gotten her out of the office and next to the dancefloor. And the world is better for it.
It’s difficult to pin down what makes Powder so special, the rich melodies, the intricate rhythms, the aloof playfulness? One thing's for sure though: Powder doesn’t demand your attention, she deserves it.
Soundcloud / Bandcamp
Familiar from pop projects The Hearing, Ruusut, and the dancier outfit Yöstö, Ringa Manner has recently begun to operate the liminal field of pop and avant garde with her ambient and downtempo performances at Post Bar, Retriitti and Curiosity Trip, where the main ingredients have been a synth, a sither, some effect units and her own voice. These angelic deliveries have brought her music a new perspective outside the mainstream view. We eagerly look forward to her performance in the northern wilderness of Solstice 2022.
From working behind the counter at world-renowed Clone Records to making people scream out of joy all across the globe from behind the DJ booth, mad miran is without a doubt one of the most exciting djs to have come up in the past five years or so. And there’s no sign of stopping.
Hanna Ojanen cut her teeth while living in Japan, undoubtedly scouring the bins of local record shops. Her immaculate taste in disco, house and funk is becoming better known to the general public weekend after weekend as she regurlarly plays at Helsinki's distintictive dance venues Post Bar, Kaiku and Siltanen.
Eccentric, musical chameleon, one man band - Jimi Tenor wears many capes and they all fit well. Having recorded music for seminal labels such as Sähkö and Warp, Tenor’s name rings a bell in all of the seven seas among electronic music fans and musical conoisseurs alike. His collaborators include musical giants such as Mika Vainio and Tony Allen.
Jimi spent most of the 90s living in major cities around the world, which might partly explain his many influences and musical plethora, ranging from afrobeat to prog and funk, spiced up with a healthy dose of “electronica” and psychedelia while being a jazz head in essence. All of this is stiched together by a gentle playfulness and a knack of pastiche.
In addition to his musical output, Jimi finds time to work on movies, festivals, and his own unique instruments, which can be heard on various releases of his.
Hailing from Helsinki, Finland, Sansibar is a nonpareil cosmic traveller, producer, resident DJ at Post Bar and Kaikus as well as a wave agitator on IDA Radio and EOS Radio whose genre-unbound sound credentials for the likes of Kalahari Oyster Cult, Natural Sciences, Émotsiya, Darknet, Avoidance et al. have helped establish as one of today’s most intriguing talents in the European scene.
Photo: Adele Hyry
One could almost describe Roza Terenzi as a child prodigy. She made her first ever production as a nine-year-old in 2003. And it’s actually pretty dope, at least for a friggin nine-year-old.
Anyway, fast forward to 2021 and Terenzi is playing all the places that say “you made it” from Dekmantel to Berghain, Primavera to Fabric. All this has come from working tirelessly at her craft: between 2018 and 2021, she released seven solo EPs and an album. The kind of work ethic you want from an artist, right?
We welcome the contemporary breakbeat wiz from down under.
Soundcloud / Instagram
Coming in strong with sounds destined to stimulate your pineal gland. Regardless of her relatively new status as a person behind the 1s and 2s, Carlina has convinced audiences (and us) that she’s a force to reckon with. Exquisite taste in euphoric breakbeat and house music that flirts with the subtleties of trance (never going overboard). Yum-E.
With records out on Anthony Naples’ and DJ’J’s Incienso, Canada’s Collect Call, and Estonia’s Sad Fun as well as now defunct Päästevest, Nikolajev’s output is varied but it’s all marked by a seal of quality. For Solstice 2022 Nikolajev comes running in hot armed with drum machines, a slew of synths and a healthy amount of distortion aiming to blow your fuses with a jackathon for the history books. You better have a damn good reason to if you are to miss this.
Viktor Toikkanen has been acquainted with the Helsinki electronic music scene for the past decade both as a musician and an event organizer. Toikkanen’s own productions include conceptual electronics such as compositions formed from vibrations of plant matter. Recently Toikkanen has been extending his music production into the field of live-coding and computer-assisted composition. His approach to forming sound is close to crafting ceramics. For Viktor, sound is like clay which you shape into more complex forms. There is no beginning or end. Music is always playing. It is just about the space and time where you step in and out.
Viktor’s music has been released on several labels including Lal Lal Lal, Ikuisuus, World Canvas and THRDEYEVSN. He has collaborated with various other artists from many different fields of art. Toikkanen has performed his work extensively, most recently in the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki, in the Acusmonium Sator hosted by Inner Spaces in Milan, Italy, Yeltsin Center Yekaterinburg, Russia, hosted by Tesnota and various other venues. He has also worked as a sound recordist for several Finnish and international film productions.
Soundcloud / Instagram
No gimmicks, no bullshit. Katerina’s love for music is as pure as a mother’s affection for her child. A highly sensitive and complex artist willing to go the extra mile.
As her musical range covers everything from Prince to Drexciya and Legowelt, Manuel Göttsching to Steve Reich and Gil-Scott Heron, it’s pointless to make any assumptions. What you can be sure about is that whatever comes out of the speakers, it’s delivered with 100% love and dedication from a lifelong music enthusiast.
Soundcloud / Instagram
Spend a memorable nightless night and meet the king of the forest in close distance.
More information and booking here.
Ruka is home to some of the most beautiful nature Finland has to offer, making it a hikers paradise. From whitewater rivers to Lappish fjelds and dense natural forests.
More information and booking for guided hikes here.
Ruka-Kuusamo’s pure nature and the diverse repertoire of trails make the biking conditions invincible. Some trails require technical expertise, some are suitable for beginners.
Just jump on a bike and let it roll!
More information here.
Kuusamo and its roaring rivers are perfect for river rafting. From easier shorter routes to difficult and long ones.
More information and booking here.
Need for speed? Ruka's summer sled track takes you down the hill at up to 60km/h.
More information and booking here.
A relaxing way to explore the waters around Ruka.
More information and booking here.
Glide over the Ruka fjelds Finland's longest zipline as you marvel at the breathtaking scenery around and beneath you.
More information and booking here.
The natural environs of Kuusamo provide a highly fascinating locale for birdwatchers. A keen bird observer can spot Eastern species, more likely to be seen in Kuusamo than anywhere else in Europe. Some of these birds can only be spotted in Kuusamo. For some Northern species, Kuusamo is their southernmost area of occurrence.
More information and booking here.
Play disc golf on the scenic 21 or 9 lane courses. Play for free if you have your own discs or rent a kit from Ruka Village.
More information here.
Two excellent rivers for trout fishing, the Oulankajoki and Kitkajoki rivers, run through the Oulanka National Park. Surrounded by wild canyons and virgin forests, fishing in the park offers a truly unique and enjoyable experience for both novice and expert anglers. The park is also home to two of the most famous rapids in the country: Kiutaköngäs and Jyrävä.
Kuusinkijoki River is a little south of the National Park, but also an excellent river for trout fishing. Whichever spot you choose, we are sure you will return refreshed and exhilarated.
More information and booking here.
Ruka Ski Resort is located in Kuusamo, Finland. It’s accessible by train, bus, airplane or car.
BUS
We’ll have our own party bus service from Helsinki to Ruka and back to set you into the mood already on your way up there. Tickets will become available early 2022.
TRAIN
Summer schedules for train-bus combination will be available later here www.vr.fi/en
AIRPLANE
Daily direct flights are available from Helsinki to Kuusamo and from Helsinki/Stockholm to Oulu. From Oulu, you can take a bus to Kuusamo. Summer bus schedules will be available later at www.matkahuolto.fi
CAR
If you are traveling with a car, please let your friends and their friends know about it. Let’s fill up the cars and be friendly to our planet.
If you have any questions about traveling to Solstice, don’t hesitate to contact us through email or any social media page.
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 options for you to choose from with special pricing through Tiketti. You’ll find pictures and details about the different accommodation options through the link below.