"Put on your dancing shoes, it's time for Flow 2010!"

”Markus is soulful language translator with a great passion for indie music”
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The trendiest, most enjoyable, easy-going and gastronomic music festival Finland has to offer is happening this weekend in Helsinki. It will be a three day fest (or four, depending on how you count it) for hipsters, indie/ alternative music lovers and urban culture buffs alike. So trim your ironic moustache, put on your coolest shades, strap on your dancing shoes and congregate to Suvilahti.

While most other Finnish festivals offer you the same old same every year, Flow makes it its  business to keep it fresh not only in terms of the line-up but also in terms of the diversity and quality of the services offered on the festival venue. Flow is never only about the music but always about creating a special, enjoyable atmosphere.

Again this year, Flow has signed some of the most relevant and current artists out there. The highlights include headliners Air (FRA), Big Boi (from Outkast) (US), Four Tet (UK), Jónsi (from Sigur Rós) (ISL), M.I.A (SRI/ UK), Robyn (SWE) and The xx (UK) as well as the indie sensations Broken Bells (US), Caribou (CAN), The Drums (US), Girls (US), Owen Pallett (CAN), The Radio Department (SWE), Sleigh Bells (US), Surfer Blood (US) and Finland's very own Villa Nah. And don't forget that the festival is kicked-off already on Wednesday by The Chemical Brothers (UK) and LCD Soundsystem (US).

If the line-up by itself fails to blow your mind, get a look at the culinary experiences on offer at the venue; you definitely don't have to be satisfied with some soggy, cold sausages and stale beer (although, traditional fast food is also available). Some of the trendiest restaurateurs in Helsinki (for example, Grotesk, Umeshu, M.A.T, Nolla and Sis. Deli) cater an affordable and inspiring festival menu that will have something for everyone: Italian and Thai cuisine, sushi, bocadillos, organic snacks and beverages, traditional cafeteria products and Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. There will also be a Lanson champagne bar for you bubbly lovers and, good news for all beer drinkers, Heineken has ousted Foster's as the official Flow beer. Obviously, a wide variety of non-alcoholic drinks are also available and you can refill the plastic bottles bought within the venue at the water points around the festival area.

Art and design is also a vital part of Flow and this year visual arts include installations, live painting and work by entities such as Marimekko and graphic designer Juuso Koponen. Also, Flow would not be cool unless it was a festival for the environmentally conscious. Flow has its own environmental program that strives to make Flow a carbon neutral festival. With this in mind, all festival goers are encouraged to come to the area by bike, on foot or by using public transport (note that the festival area doesn't have a car park). This is possible since Suvilahti is situated close to the city centre with good bus / tram connections and Kalasatama metro station is only a stone's throw away from the venue.

Tickets have been in great demand but there are still some tickets available at Tiketti, Lippupiste and Stupido Shop.

Have a fantastic Flow!