Having Co-promoted the Arts Club Liverpool headline show of  one of my all time favourite bands – Iceland’s Kælan Mikla, I was keen to catch them at another show, but couldn’t make it to any of the continental dates on the recent tour.

Laufey Soffía of Kælan Mikla photographed at Studio 2, Liverpool 2019 by John W. King / Live Music Pix

Therefore, I was looking to see what events they are playing in 2026, and the first to be announced was Ankea Festival, described as “Finland’s new summer gathering for alternative rock and progressive metal lovers”.

My initial thought was to wait and see what other events are announced and go to the one with the most interesting lineup and reasonable cost of flights – Iceland would of course be ideal, and maybe they will even come back to the UK?

But the more I read about Ankea Festival, the more interesting it sounded, and  it wasn’t long before I bought a ticket!

The other act on the lineup that I was already familiar with is London’s A.A. Williams, who put on an incredible show at Jimmy’s Liverpool in 2021.


A.A. Williams @ Jimmys Liverpool, 2021 – Photo John King / Live Music Pix

Checking out some of the other bands that I wasn’t familiar with, it sounds like a real gem of a lineup already, with more to be announced in February.

It promises to explore into the world of alternative music and takes place at the Hiedanranta industrial site, a lakeside hub for street art and food culture just minutes from the center of Tampere.  Tampere itself looks really cool, and well worth doing some touristy stuff in the morning before the festival starts for the day.

Katatonia will headline the festival with a rare 20th anniversary performance of their iconic album The Great Cold Distance. The album, a true milestone in the band’s career and a fan favourite, was released in 2006 and includes many of the band’s biggest hits, such as My Twin, Leaders and July.

The festival also announces American post-rock legends This Will Destroy You and French psychedelic rockers SLIFT – both rare sights on Northern European festival stages. Ankea also welcomes progressive metal band Rioghan, originally a solo project of singer and poetess Rioghan Darcy, considered one of the most interesting new names in the genre.

The first edition of Ankea Festival will be held in a post-industrial lakeside setting in Tampere, Finland, on the 5th and 6th of June 2026.

Looks like the best way to get there from the UK is to fly to Helsinki then a train to Tampere.

Artists Confirmed 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), Kælan Mikla (IS), Green Carnation (NO), Circle (FI), A.A. Williams (UK), Bruce Soord (UK), Earthside (US), Ihlo (UK), Vermilia (FI), Virta (FI), Rioghan (FI). More artists to be announced in February.


Two-day tickets for 149,90€ are on sale now at www.tiketti.fi/ankeafestival

Finally, the festival’s website says: “Ankea Festival is an asshole-free zone. Everybody else (over the age of 18) is warmly welcome!” sounds good to me!  See you there?