History and Gallery

Past years

John Smith Rock Festival has been organized since 2016  (in 2020 and 2021 the festival was canceled due to Covid-19). Every year many great bands have been performed on the stages with the awesome audience in the Peurunka park. 

In 2023 John Smith Rock Festival was nominated as the best rock festival in Finland for the fourth time in a row by voting of Kaaoszine. Also, the readers of the music magazine Soundi voted John Smith Rock Festival as the best domestic festival for the year 2018 and 2019. Many thanks! <3

Our Story

From sauna to trophies on the nation’s cabinet

In the autumn of 2015, Mr. Smith’s mind and barrel sauna seats were filled with the idea of creating a new rock festival in the festival constellation of the Finnish music sky. Constellation is hypothetical and a bit delusional as a goal, but he was still serious about his utopia and what he was doing, even after the idea became flesh. Morning came, summer came. From words to action; after the spring of learning brought by mistakes and failures, the summer of 2016 was coming and the whole nation was ready for the festival. Of course – fortunately – not all of them, but just a large enough part of the population that the activity could be perceived as accepted and profitable in all respects, even from the traces of the fumbling first steps. That event was to be named the John Smith Rock Festival, after his apprentice and a local sailor.

Laukaa’s Peurunka and its scenic beach landscape were selected as the focal point of the event. The amphitheater-like grass grandstand combined with the sunset and a flock of ducks swimming in the background created a physical setting for a relaxing picnic, with good people and moderate and correct enjoyment. Years passed and the event sought more friends and additional forms. The coordinates were checked and the course was set, but the horizon reflected clear and common in the visual and sensory organs of both the authors and the invited guests. Praised and criticized, created and regretted. That’s how a year passed, and another. A large group of fanatical friends, disappointed people who tried it for the first time, and the concept, which basically found its way, remained largely unchanged until these days.

Helloween, Arch Enemy, D-A-D, Mustasch, Lacuna Coil, Amaranthe… Amorphis, Children of Bodom, Stratovarius, Apocalyptica… The JSRF years have included an enviable bunch of greats and an even bigger group of still unknown and by lame standards “smaller” bands. Luckily for us, several of the latter have broadened the consciousness of the masses, moving one step closer to the popularity they deserve. One of the cemented dogmas of the John Smith Rock Festival is the band selection screen, which only carefully considered choices that follow one’s own opinion pass through. Numerous band comebacks and maiden visits to Finland have served as an interesting spice in the endlessly attractive band concoction.

The most important flagship projects of the John Smith Rock Festival have been, are and will always be, two things; the atmosphere created by the people as well as the service and its quality! The most significant guarantee of the quality of the service covering all areas has been the number of people, which, with limitations, has been wanted to be kept moderate compared to the event area and the number of services. That and many other components have created an atmosphere that does not leave its experiencer warm, and created a bacchanal that entitles John Smith’s works to the “quality guarantee” certificate, which awaits new and old disappointed people once again!

2024

Artists

Behemoth
Amorphis
The Hellacopters
Testament
Raised Fist
Stam1na
Insomnium
Mokoma
Suburban Tribe
Ne Obliviscaris
Tarot
Moonspell
Draconian
Smash into Pieces
Unleash The Archers
Cemetery Skyline
Visions Of Atlantis
Rhapsody Of Fire
Harakiri For The Sky
Shade Empire
Ereb Altor
Verikalpa
Kalmah
Bloodbound
Dyecrest
IKINÄ

Afterparty:
Mann Gegen Mann plays Rammstein
Red Eleven plays Faith No More
Antony Parviainen Trio plays Iron Maiden

Brunch:
Tuomio & Raski Duo
Kaarle Viikate & Netta Skog

Pictures

2023

Artists

CRADLE OF FILTH
D-A-D
AMORPHIS
SOILWORK
BEAST IN BLACK
THE HALO EFFECT
DANKO JONES
KYYRIA
SONATA ARCTICA
PERTURBATOR
ROTTING CHRIST
SÓLSTAFIR
VOLA
LORD OF THE LOST
SCAR SYMMETRY
BEFORE THE DAWN
EQUILIBRIUM
BLOODRED HOURGLASS
OMNIUM GATHERUM
FEAR OF DOMINATION
SWALLOW THE SUN
FREEDOM CALL
KAUNIS KUOLEMATON
VORNA
MARIANAS REST
SMACKBOUND
RED ELEVEN
SUOTANA

Pictures

2022

Artists

DARK TRANQUILLITY
AIRBOURNE
POWERWOLF
MUSTASCH
KATATONIA
STAM1NA
BATTLE BEAST
INSOMNIUM
NORTHERN KINGS
ALCEST
TURMION KÄTILÖT
MOKOMA
SOEN
STEVE ‘N’ SEAGULLS
ORBIT CULTURE
DIABLO
LOST SOCIETY
BLOODRED HOURGLASS
TO/DIE/FOR
ORDEN OGAN
WOLFHEART
ANZILLU
PSYCHEWORK
KOTITEOLLISUUS
SILENTIUM
INFECTED RAIN
RANE RAUTIAINEN & PAHA KAKSONEN
BATTLELORE
MARTTI SERVO & NAPANDER

Pictures

5 year compilation video

2019

Artists

Arch Enemy
Amaranthe
Amorphis
Kamelot
Stam1na
Insomnium
Mokoma
Sólstafir
Michael Monroe
Wintersun
Turisas
69 eyes
Viikate
Jinjer
Avatar
Heat
Swallow The Sun
Gloryhammer
Kontrust
Omnium Gatherum
Bloodred Hourglass
Fear Of Domination
Cellar Darling
Arion
Ruoska
Excalion
Antony Parviainen Trio

Club Terror DJ’s
Club DJ Laura & Hyrde
Club DJ Jussi 69

Pictures

Aftermovie

2018

Artists

Apocalyptica
Amorphis
Paradise Lost
Lacuna Coil
Mokoma
Wolfheart
Turmion Kätilöt
Ensiferum
Raised Fist
Insomnium
Stratovarius
Eluveitie
Dark Tranquillity
Cyhra
Hallatar
Beast In Black
Brother Firetribe
End Of You
Dark Sarah
Lazy Bonez
Leverage
Waltari
Verenpisara
Antony Parviainen trio feat Marco Hietala & JP Leppäluoto

Pictures

Aftermovie

2017

Artists

D-A-D
Mustasch
Children of Bodom
Amorphis
Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus
Sonata Arctica
Delain
Therapy?
Before The Dawn
Reckless Love
Mokoma
2 Times Terror
CMX
Peer Günt
S-Tool
Dynazty
Psychework
Wolfheart
Swallow the Sun
Graham Bonnet Band
Antony Parviainen Trio Feat Marco Hietala & Tuple Salmela

Pictures

Aftermovie

2016

Artists

Helloween
Amorphis
Amaranthe
Stratovarius
Sparzanza
Stam1na
Kotiteollisuus
Von Herzen Brothers
Maj Karma
Mokoma
Sonata Arctica
Turmion Kätilöt
Korpiklaani
Red Eleven
Lost Society
Francine
Battle Beast
To/Die/For
Antony Parviainen Trio
Disco Inferno
Hevisaurus

Pictures

Aftermovie