Sonisphere Sells Out Helsinki

Sonisphere continued its sellout progress around Europe by drawing a 47,000-capacity crowd to Helsinki harbour June 4, showing that the traveling festival tends to do well when Metallica tops the bill.

The Finnish show came a week after the Spanish leg of Sonisphere – with Metallica headlining the second night – pulled more than 90,000 to Getafe Park in Madrid over the course of two days.

Last year’s Sonisphere in Helsinki did 12,000 on a smaller configuration of the former dockland site at West Harbour, when Slipknot led the lineup.

For Live Nation Finland, which co-promoted the show with Sonisphere owners Stuart Galbraith and John Jackson, it was start of a summer season that also has big shows from the likes of Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Other acts at the Helsinki Sonisphere included Machine Head, Gojira, Ghost, and Amorphis.

The opening of the Scandinavian festival season also had the 25,000-capacity Skive Festival in Denmark and the 12,000-capacity Siesta Festival at Hassleholm, Sweden.

Skive May 30 to June 2 had Calvin Harris, Robyn, D-A-D, and Barbara Moleko, while Siesta May 31 to June 2 featured Death Cab For Cutie, NOFX, and The Hives.