Jytäkesä Go-Go has been going strong and growing since it kicked off after the COVID years. The festival caters to a nostalgia-infused list of artists, mainly targeting the now-grown-up youth of the ’90s. There have usually been some interesting comebacks at the festival, a foreign main act, and some alternative music scene favorites. Apart from that, there are usually some captivating newer names with a still recognizably retro approach.
Jytäkesä Go-Go takes place at the Suvilahti area. There are three stages outdoors and an indoor stage at the Tiivistämö premises. An abundance of acts means there are usually two or three acts running simultaneously, so one person can’t see everything the festival has to offer. Some of the stages are smaller, like the Tiivistämö, and don’t fit all the interested people, so one has to do some planning to catch the acts one wants to see.
We kicked off Saturday, July 26th, 2025, on the Jytälava stage with TEKSTI-TV 666. The band known for their huge guitar walls didn’t disappoint this time either, as the stage hosted a band of six guitars, bass, and drums. TEKSTI-TV 666 is a mesmerizing act, as they sculpt the massive sound wall. The audience packed at the stage seemed to agree, enjoying (or suffering, however you take it) the hot, sunny day.
Next, we took a step to the smaller Go-Go stage where KRYPTA played a delightful classic heavy metal set. It’s easy to find reminiscences of BLACK SABBATH in their occult finrock, as they call it themselves. Anyway, the band played well, vocalist Henri Seger (also known from TYRANTTI) was in a good singing mood, and the band connected well with the quite large audience present; absolutely an unexpected gem of the festival for us.
Then it was time to see ANTTI AUTIO perform at the main stage. This was one of the not-so-expected gigs of the tournament, proving the readiness of Jytäkesä to step over genre limitations. Autio‘s pop-based singer-songwriter material is not the bread and butter of a festival like Jytäkesä, but the show did pull in a hefty audience – and remarkably, a younger one than some other shows.
Next up for us was NYRKKITAPPELU at the Jytälava stage. Their unapologetic punk rock attitude delivered with ruthless energy did the trick again, and the band had their huge audience bouncing. Singer Horo-Hepe did his part, pumping up the audience. He ran to the court to organize a huge pit at one stage, came within a hand’s reach of the audience during many of the songs, and just drove a relentlessly bouncing and energetic rock show.
One of the most anticipated comebacks this summer has been ABSOLUUTTINEN NOLLAPISTE, who took the main stage next. Their progressive pop approach, paired with vocalist Tommi Liimattas’ enigmatic lyrics, made them sort of a cult favorite in the 2000s and 2010s and it seems their reputation has only grown. Many of the audience of Jytäkesä have seen them play in their younger days, and this proved quite the nostalgia trip with singing together and even tears in the crowd.
Then we tuned up to the Lapland Balkan show of JAAKKO LAITINEN & VÄÄRÄ RAHA at the small Go-Go stage again. Jaakko Laitinen himself is a charismatic headman to the band that plays some very smoothly rolling, rhythmically interesting Balkan-influenced schlagers. There is also quite a bit of humor in the band’s approach, but there’s also a lot of good music played with ambition.
On the main stage, one of the biggest names in Finnish music, J.KARJALAINEN, performed a hit-loaded set. Karjalainen’s Americana approach might again be a bit out of context at a festival like Jytäkesä, but there is no denying his songs work. The band, consisting of long-time, known musicians, gives a tight, trusty background to Karjalainen’s raspy singing. Again, if you can pull a show with at least half the audience singing along almost all the time, you’re doing something right.
One of the most pleasant shows of the festival for us was the one by ENDSTAND, a HC-punk legend returning to action after more than 15 years in hiatus. The band was visibly happy to play together, the audience crowded their show, and there were quite a few nostalgic and emotional speeches by vocalist Janne Tamminen. And of course, a lot of raging music delivered with attitude. The band had practiced a lot for their comeback, and this was evident, as they played very tightly indeed.
The festival ended for us at the Tiivistämö inside stage with a show of LOVERS LEFT ALIVE. The street rock band has been making waves at the Helsinki rock clubs in the last couple of years. The band is a group of players known for playing in many bands in the Helsinki underground scene, and on stage, this shows. They have a very natural way of taking over the stage. The main attention goes to the duo of vocalist-guitarist Tomi Hyena and guitarist Jaakko Mäkiniemi who do most of the show-acting and bouncing around on stage. But the foundation is very much in the strong rhythm section that gives room for the stars to shine. Their show was a sweaty and hot ending to a festival spent in the July heat. Check our photo gallery here…
Teksti-TV 666
Krypta
Antti Autio
Nyrkkitappelu
Absoluuttinen Nollapiste
Jaakko Laitinen & Väärä Raha
J.Karjalainen
Endstand
Lovers Left Alive
