Pori Jazz festival faces declining ticket sales and third consecutive year of losses in Finland

The discussion surrounding the Pori Jazz festival shows no signs of slowing down. Following several unprofitable years, concerns grew about whether the festival could attract enough performers to draw an audience, particularly with high ticket prices and unpredictable weather potentially leading to lower attendance. Those fears have proven accurate, as the festival reported only 32,000 tickets sold and faced its third consecutive year of losses.

Sampsa Jolma, the festival’s new CEO, noted that despite these disappointing figures, the future of the festival is not in jeopardy, stating that the event has simply returned to a normal level of attendance. However, Riku Räsänen, who has been active in the entertainment industry since 1991, sees things differently. He commented that Pori has reverted to poor commercial celebrations, asserting that the jazz festival no longer stands apart from other Finnish festivals.

Räsänen believes the decline of Pori Jazz began years ago during the tenure of its “father,” Jyrki Kangas, who served as artistic director. He recalls the focus at that time on creating an experience rather than merely serving as a venue for different artists. After Kangas left in 2009, Räsänen feels the festival lost its soul and unique appeal.

To rescue Pori Jazz, Räsänen suggests emphasizing creativity and potentially transferring management to a major organization like Live Nation Entertainment. He argues that this could lead to the development of a revitalized festival that prioritizes its artistic essence over mere profits.

While some speculate that the transformation into an adult-only event drove away audiences, Räsänen disagrees, claiming that the larger alcohol service area can serve customers better, benefiting thousands while only a small number of minors are excluded.