Crowds Down At Ankkarock

Juhani Merimaa says he was a little disappointed the Ankkarock crowd in Finland was 25 percent down on last year but is shrugging it off as one of those things that happens when you run an annual festival.

He said the busy Finnish market may have had some bearing on the result, particularly as Ruisrock – the three-dayer he produces in early July – came before Madonna and Metallica arrived in the country and did a little better than last year.

“We didn’t spend so much on the entertainment this year,” Merimaa explained, suggesting the usual 24,000 break-even point may have been significantly lower this year.

The two-day crowd was 21,000, compared with the 28,500 that showed in 2009.

The predominately rock lineup at Korso Airport, Vantaa, Aug. 1-2 included Cavalera Conspiracy, Turbonegro, New York Dolls, Dragonforce and TV On The Radio.