Blockfest is an annual hip-hop festival held in

Tampere Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city in the Pirkanmaa region, located in the western part of Finland. Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. It has a population of 244,029; the urban area has a population o ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

. Normally held in August, the concert features the most popular acts that hip-hop and R&B have to offer in a particular year. In recent years, the event has been organized in the city center of Tampere, near

Ratina Stadium Tampere Stadium ( fi, Tampereen stadion), also known as Ratina Stadium ( fi, Ratinan stadion), designed by architect Timo Penttilä and completed in 1965, is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampere, Finland, with a seating capacity of 16,800 people, ...

, right next to the

Laukontori Laukontori (or the Laukko Square, also known as ''Alaranta'') is a market square in the southern part of the city center of Tampere, Finland, on the shores of Lake Pyhäjärvi. It is located just a few hundred meters from Tampere Central Square. ...

square and the

Koskikeskus Koskikeskus (literally ''Rapids Center'' in Finnish) is a neighbourhood in the Tuira area in the city of Oulu, Finland. The neighbourhood is located in the estuary of the river Oulujoki. The Tuira Bridges in Koskikeskus connect the city centre an ...

shopping center. Blockfest is one of the biggest hip-hop festivals in the

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; literal translation, lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmar ...

and is sold out every year already in advance. Over the course of its history, Blockfest has featured the most popular Finnish hip-hop artists, such as JVG,

Fintelligens Fintelligens is a hip hop group from Helsinki, Finland. The band is formed of two MCs: Elastinen and Iso H. The band has released three albums and one compilation, all selling more than 150,000 copies. Career In the early 1990s the Finnish hi ...

, Cheek,

Asa ASA as an abbreviation or initialism may refer to: Biology and medicine * Accessible surface area of a biomolecule, accessible to a solvent * Acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin * Advanced surface ablation, refractive eye surgery * Anterior spinal ar ...

Lord Est Lord Est is a Finnish dancehall reggae duo from Tampere made up of Tuomo Hiironmäki on vocals and his brother Uncle Tan on keyboards. In general, Tuomo writes the lyrics and Uncle Tan (earlier known as D Mon) composes the music. Lord Est has rele ...

and Redrama. In addition, top international artists are included in the line-up every year, and the festival has previously starred

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

, ASAP Rocky,

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 200 ...

, Post Malone,

G-Eazy Gerald Earl Gillum (born May 24, 1989), better known by his stage name G-Eazy, is an American rapper. His first major-label album, '' These Things Happen'', was released on June 23, 2014, and peaked at number 3 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 ...

and

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...

. Since celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017, Blockfest has become Finland's first cashless festival, where nothing is paid for with cash. Payments are made with a payment

wristband Wristbands are encircling strips worn on the wrist or lower forearm. The term can be used to refer to a bracelet-like band, similar to that of a wristwatch, to the cuff or other part of a sleeve that covers the wrist, or decorative or function ...

, which also serves as an entry wristband. Blockfest announced in December 2019 an 18-year age limit for the 2020 Blockfest, which is still in place. The change to an age-restricted event caused outrage among

young people Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

. As a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the event was not organized in 2020. The 2021 event was also canceled for the same reason.

References

External links

Blockfest
– Official Site (in English)
Blockfest 2022
at

Live Nation Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American global entertainment company and monopoly that was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The company promotes, operates, and manages ticket sales for live entertainme ...

{{Hip hop festival Hip hop music festivals Music festivals established in 2002 Music festivals in Finland Events in Tampere

See also

References

External links