Santeri Bremer celebrates sold-out Kotka Maritime Days rap event at Satama Arena

29-year-old Santeri Bremer knew the risk had paid off when tickets for this year’s Kotka Maritime Days rap event sold out in advance. Bremer and his friends invested several hundred thousand euros into organizing the event, which featured over 20 artists performing over two days at the newly opened Satama Arena, drawing a crowd of around 7,000 people. “It’s a great venue, but also large. Tickets need to sell well for the event to be profitable,” Bremer stated.

The event included two stages—one outdoors at the arena and another indoors. “This was our biggest event, and it was a success. I could only breathe a sigh of relief once everything wrapped up,” he remarked.

Bremer, along with his business partner Matias Mykkänen—both DJs—has been organizing rap events in collaboration with friends for five years. Their team, The Day Events, aims to bring top Finnish rap artists to local audiences. Bremer emphasized the importance of spacing out events in Kotka to maintain interest.

Despite initial criticisms of the Satama Arena for a lack of appealing events—culminating in a €600,000 loss in its first year—the rap events organized by The Day Events have become some of the venue’s biggest draws, with sold-out shows featuring artists like Gettomasa and JVG, attracting audiences of up to 2,200.

Looking ahead, Bremer plans to expand the artist lineup for next year’s Maritime Days to include names beyond rap music, while navigating the challenges of a struggling events industry affected by rising costs and economic pressures. “We just want to keep throwing parties with a good vibe,” he concluded.