Born in 2004 as an urban music arts festival, it now serves as a springboard for the Finnish music scene. Over the years, the festival has become an appointed date for international artists performing across Europe with eclectic lineups which have included Kraftwerk, Björk, Grace Jones, Public Enemy, The Cure, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Kendrick Lamar - the list is long. Furthermore, the festival comprises a hefty art programme together with The Other Sounds, where contemporary composers, non-commercial and more experimental music have their place at Flow. Located at a former power plant in the centre of Helsinki, Flow has pioneered sustainability with green electricity, reusing materials, smart transportation and social equality. We wanted to explore this exceptional development together with Flow's Artistic Director, Tuomas Kallio, who kindly engaged with us in the midst of getting Flow 2022 ready for 12 to 14 August.

Although Finland has an extraordinary heritage of architecture and design – especially talents and institutions such as Eliel Saarinen, Alvar Aalto’s Artek, Marimekko, Arabia, among others – more recently, the heritage expanded into the arts, fashion and music fields. Flow began in 2004, the year after Helsinki Design Week was established. In 2010 Aalto University became one of the most relevant universities in Europe for Technology, Economics, Art and Design, including the fashion design programme forming students soon-to-become team members for the major luxury fashion houses. With no doubt Helsinki has developed a unique character and become more and more attractive to the culturally savvy tourists. As a matter of fact, Flow takes place in the midst of August, when schools and locals are back in town, so Flow serves as a somewhat closing celebration of the summer in Finland.