This year marks the fourteenth time that Manifesto’s Political Songs’ Evening has been held at SuomiAreena, Finland’s largest societal and political discussion festival. Over the years, the event has established itself as a fixture in the festival week’s programme and has grown into a unique occasion that combines socially conscious music, social interaction and a lively atmosphere. 

SuomiAreena festival is held annually during the last week of June in Pori, a city located in Western coast of Finland

“The best thing is that politicians, journalists, influencers, artists and ordinary people are all in the same space. For a moment, everyone is united by the same music,” says Manifesto’s Head of Public Affairs, Ilari Marzano, who has been involved in organising the event from the very beginning. 

According to Ilari, political songs still have a clear role to play in today’s world.

“Political songs remind us that politics is not just about decisions, regulations and meetings, but also about emotions, shared experiences and the spirit of the times. A good political song can capture the mood of its era better than many a speech or pamphlet. They contain protest, humour, melancholy and hope – often all at the same time,” Ilari explains.

The idea arose from a desire to do things differently

The original inspiration behind the evening of political songs was a desire to bring a completely unique programme concept to SuomiAreena.

“We wanted also to do something else than the usual panel discussion, which we organize for our customers during the festival week. The aim was to create an event where people could meet in a relaxed atmosphere and in good spirits,” explains Ilari.

The spark for the actual idea was ignited in the summer of 2010 in Visby, at Almedalsveckan, which serves as the model for SuomiAreena.

“We took part in a political sing-along evening organised by our Swedish partner organisation, where a troubadour performed a wide range of political songs. That’s when the idea of a Finnish version began to take shape. It was also clear that we had to get Mikko Alatalo, a famous Finnish folk singer and a Member of Parliament, on board. The first Political Songs Evening was held in 2012.”

Fourteen years of experiences and memories

Over the years, there have been numerous venues, packed halls and a variety of atmospheres.

“The journey has included Saikku, Kulttuurikulma, Bar Kino and Punainen Kukko, a variety of artists, heat, sweat, sing-alongs and lots of laughter,” Ilari lists.

Ilari particularly remembers the first sing-along evening, the intense nights at Bar Kino, and the return with Pelle Miljoona, an iconic Finnish punk rock and new wave musician, author, and poet, after the Covid years. The performances by a hiphop musician and social activist Paleface and Leijonamieli have also stuck in his mind as exceptionally energetic and political events.

The years have taught us, at the very least, that it’s worth giving good ideas a chance, even if you don’t know where they’ll lead at the start.

“When we were organising the first evening, we certainly didn’t think the event would still be going strong more than ten years later.”

Teamwork behind the scenes

The success of the event is down to a collaboration that has become well-established over the years.

“For the past ten years, we have organised the event in collaboration with IFPI Finland ry., the national trade association for record companies in Finland. We usually start thinking about the artists for the following summer straight away in the autumn and go through the candidates together. Over the years, there have been countless fun moments as we’ve put the programme for the evening together.”

Another cornerstone and a regular performer of the event is agit-rock band Punatähdet (Red Stars). The band’s music, ‘Soviet-era Finnish rock’, and humour combine nostalgia for the left-wing movement of the 1970s and social satire about politicians, societal issues and daily politics. The lead singers of the band, Jan Erola and Jaakko Lyytinen, are well-known Finnish journalists and media personalities.

“We’ve been working with Punatähdet since the mid-90s, when we were all studying at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Helsinki. When we started planning the song evening in the early 2010s, it was clear from the outset that Punatähdet would be part of it.”