I’ve never been much of a music festival goer. I’m uncomfortable in big crowds and the idea of sleeping in a tent freaks me out. One festival that has however become a regular on my calender is Flow Festival in Helsinki. What so awesome about it? Besides the diverse line-up and the great food, the festival takes place in the middle of the city so getting home is not an issue. Transport and lodging are some of the reasons I still haven’t made it to Pori Jazz and the Savonlinna Opera festival. Not to mention all the festivals abroad like Roskilde, Coachella and Glastonbury to name a few. But hey, there’s always next year!
What’s the verdict on this year’s Flow? With the risk of sounding lame, awesome! There was the sweaty bounce fest with Skrillex, Outkast’s greatest hits, groovy tunes of legendary Salif Keita and a whole lot more. The highlight was however the set by one electric lady, Janelle Monáe. Of all the artists I saw no one had as much energy and presence from start to finish. With the help of her band she sang, danced and even dived into the crowd. The last time Miss Monáe was at Flow she played in the full packed blue tent and I could only see her from the screen. This year she had been upgraded to the main stage (rightfully so!) and I made sure to get a front row position. Below are some images from her electrifying performance.
