The Island in the Sun festival is undoubtedly among the most eccentric festivals of the summer! Arranged on the 16th and 17th of July, on Jurmo, Brändö on the Åland Islands, this summer extravaganza can be a real splash. One can see it as a packaged get-away of sorts, two boat rides and a summer festival in the middle of the ocean. Interested, I am.

The modest in size festival is located on Brändö, that has an incredible 520 inhabitants and over 1200 islands of various sizes! This should already give you some headway into what you might expect from the location. There are shops, being careful not to stress to plural too much, but no ATM. Scared yet? Maybe you should be. With props like these, this isn’t just a indiepop – electro summer festival, it’s a ludicrous summer adventure!

Main act of the summer, the Concretes, the modern soulful pop Swedes are making the Island in the Sun festival their only visit to Finland this year, even as the Åland Isles is more like the Switzerland between the two countries. Three full length albums, several other releases and international touring experience from some large attractions build this seven piece orchestra up as an attraction waiting to be (heart)felt.

Check out more on the Concretes on their MySpace!

Even as the program of the Island in the Sun festival remains unpublished to its full extent, the confirmed line-up so far looks something like this:

Largely due to the extraordinary circumstances this festival extravaganza is set up in, one cannot help being intrigued. Amidst the vast ocean with music sounds seems unrealistically idyllic, especially in the middle of summer, which is why it is hard to not get carried away. One thing is sure, this little sister of a festival is surely a whole other experience, from the rest of the Finnish festivals.

More information on Island in the Sun can be found on IslandInTheSun.nu

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