Genelec boosts accessible culture at TOIVOLA festival

The festival is known for combining performing arts, music and meaningful discussions in a way that invites people to meet each other openly – to experience something that feels good and stays in your memory. TOIVOLA is set up by organisers Flow and Brené Brown to feel like a courtyard party, a place where you may not know anyone when you arrive, but where you are welcomed like an old friend.

This year, Relove Showroom on Bulevardi street was transformed into the TOIVOLA House, a warm lounge and performance space, which pulsated with encounters between art and audiences for a week.

The series of music performances supported by Genelec formed just one part of the festival's multi-layered programme. TOIVOLA's full programme is extensive and diverse, including theatre performances, concerts, discussion evenings, and various artistic experiences throughout Helsinki. At the heart of the festival is the desire to bring meaningful stories and encounters to life from many perspectives, from intimate performances to large-scale stage productions.

As a festival partner, Genelec also boosted TOIVOLA's goal of making culture truly accessible. We were delighted to donate 150 free tickets to low-income families, young people and marginalised groups in cooperation with the Deaconess Foundation, Vamos Youth Services and All Our Children. This concrete action was part of the festival's "Culture Belongs to Everyone" campaign and reflected the shared values of both the festival and Genelec, that everyone should have the opportunity to experience something beautiful and hopeful. The festival's artistic director, Jani Toivola, described the partnership with gratitude, as it opened the festival's doors to more and more.

Musical moments at the festival offered diverse and moving experiences:

Goldielocks, a Finnish Berlin-based indie pop artist, brought a combination of visuality, storytelling and strong energy to the stage. She has performed extensively in Europe and is known for drawing inspiration from theatre and major pop icons in her music. Her TOIVOLA LIVE performance was sold out and full of intensity.

Hassan Maikal, on the other hand, combines pop, rap and Afro sounds and is known for his honest storytelling about identity and humanity. At TOIVOLA, he performed with the musicians of the Sointi Jazz Orchestra, creating a rare, multi-layered, emotional live experience.

Misha (Mika Kurvinen), an internationally successful hip-hop and R&B producer and artist, complemented the lineup by bringing shades of nu-funk, soul, jazz and alternative R&B to the festival. With over 100 million Spotify streams in his career, Misha is also known for his collaborations with other international artists, and for his live band, Misha Band, which offers wholesome audiovisual performances.

Now, we invite you to relive the festival atmosphere through a series of recorded artist interviews and live performances, including from Goldielocks, Hassan Maikal and Misha. Through these, the meaningful moments of November – the sense of community and the power of art – continue, extending the core idea of the festival: "Without art, there would be no hope."