Live, in Photos: Flow Festival 2026 with Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Lambrini Girls, Geese, and More

Live, in Photos: Flow Festival 2026 with Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Lambrini Girls, Geese, and More

Plus sombr, Lykke Li, and the atmosphere of the annual festival at Helsinki’s decommissioned Suvilahti power plant.

Photos: Joshua Mellin

August 18, 2026

Helsinki’s decommissioned Suvilahti power plant provides one of the most striking backdrops for live music anywhere in the world. The renovated industrial park has hosted Flow Festival for years, creating a uniquely gritty atmosphere right in the middle of the city. Rapid urban development constantly threatens to push the event out of the city center, yet organizers fortunately managed to secure the iconic space for at least another run this year—and have even confirmed that it will return next August. Exploring the festival grounds feels like walking through a concrete dystopia of towering steel structures given new life by massive art installations and brilliant lighting design.

The Nordic festival circuit loosely bands together during this late-summer window, with Øya, Way Out West, and Flow all sharing massive international bookings across the same weekend. While I spent Thursday through Saturday on the grounds in Gothenburg at Way Out West, Flow remains my true festival home base. Having attended every single year since 2019, I simply could not miss it. Following the final night in Sweden, I woke up early Sunday morning and caught the first short flight to Finland for a packed closing day. One year I pulled off all three, so it is possible with how they’re slightly off-set.

The physical toll of festival hopping entirely vanishes the moment you walk through those gates. This year, you could immediately feel the lingering electricity from a massive sold-out weekend that ultimately drew 91,000 visitors. Fans were still buzzing about Friday night. Zara Larsson apparently delivered a dazzling pop spectacle, while Disclosure turned the newly relocated Silver Arena into a massive dance floor. Saturday sounded equally relentless: Florence + the Machine brought deep emotional resonance to the main stage, while hardcore heavyweights Turnstile reportedly ignited an intensely physical shared experience in the afternoon. Hearing about Clipse delivering a raw late-night rap set made me slightly jealous.

But Sunday offered plenty of its own distinct magic to close things out properly. The final day of the fest operates on a completely different wavelength because it doubles as Family Day, where children are allowed into the festival for free until 5 p.m. The grounds are filled with young audiences dancing at the Skidit Disco or learning the ropes at the DJ Academy Helsinki before the heavier evening programming takes over. Seeing toddlers dressed in chic Finnish fashion and sporting oversized noise-canceling headphones roaming around an industrial techno haven is both an endearing and an incredibly surreal sight.

Flow also maintains a strictly vegetarian policy across all vendors. Having only one day to experience the legendary culinary lineup, I immediately went to work. I absolutely binged on buffalo no-chicken fries, a massive tofu sandwich, mango flatbread tacos, and a stellar bowl of mac and cheese. The commitment to sustainability pushes local restaurants to elevate their menus far beyond typical festival fare.

My musical afternoon kicked off with some serious déjà vu. Geese brought their uncompromising rock spirit back to the Silver Arena, commanding a rather enthusiastic crowd eager to embrace a modern guitar band. I then watched sombr for the third time this week, having just caught his sets at Lollapalooza and Way Out West. Undeniably a dedicated showman, he made a flashy entrance by pulling up in a classic car backstage while casually holding a martini. Swedish pop powerhouse Lykke Li brought a highly anticipated performance to the tent later in the evening, completely transforming the vast space into a deeply intimate room. Her ethereal vocals floated over the crowd, providing a moody contrast to the heavier acts dominating the schedule.

The Black Tent hosted one of the most vital acts of the moment. Lambrini Girls delivered a wildly raucous set that required a massive influx of security as mosh pits continuously broke out. I’m sure they’ll be remembered as one of the most important punk bands of this era; their political statements resonate long after the feedback fades, and the chaotic energy they brought to the tent felt genuinely dangerous in the best possible way. During a blistering performance of “God’s Country,” they explicitly criticized the local right-wing party known as The Finns. They also registered their deep distaste for their own UK government by flatly declaring “fuck the King” to a roaring audience. It takes serious conviction to bring that level of localized political fury to a festival set abroad.

Modern rock trailblazers Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds took over the Main Stage as darkness finally settled over Suvilahti. Cave just headlined the festival back in 2022, with that recent appearance suggesting that he might not have been as big of a draw this time around. He still brought out an army of incredibly passionate fans for the powerful two-hour spectacle his band delivered. The intense energy swept the audience into a state of collective euphoria as they tore through a sprawling setlist. Cave looked absolutely idolic performing under the striking festival lights right next to the historic giant gasometer. He spent large portions of the night practically leaning over the barricade, commanding the front row like a gothic street preacher.

I decided to close out my festival experience over at the Balloon 360 stage. The setup is a brilliant architectural space featuring a giant glowing balloon that feels like an entirely separate venue. South Korean trio Sailor Honeymoon wrapped up the weekend there with a gritty punk performance that stood in stark contrast to the hyper-commercial K-pop that’s put their region of the world on the musical map lately. The raw, unfiltered garage-rock energy was incredibly refreshing. They ended their set by inviting dozens of screaming fans onto the stage for a massive dance party. It proved to be a spectacular fashion to close out another unforgettable year in Helsinki.