Flow Festival, opening in Helsinki on Friday, is facing mounting calls for a boycott over alleged links to Israel through its USA majority owner KKR and several sponsors.
Activist group urges action over Israeli connections
The campaign group Flow Strike argues that these ties make the festival complicit in Israel’s actions in Gaza. The group has called on organisers to sever all Israeli connections or risk losing municipal permits to host the event. Flow was sold in 2018 to UK-based Superstruct, later acquired by KKR in 2024. While KKR holds global investments, including some in Israel, Finnish media report that these represent a small part of its portfolio.
Sponsors under scrutiny for operations in Israel
Sponsors such as Heineken and Google also operate in Israel. Artistic director Tuomas Kallio described the suggestion that the festival is directly tied to “apartheid and genocide” as “at best artificial,” noting that almost every major player in the music industry has some form of connection to Israel.
Artists respond with donations and political messages
Several artists have expressed unease about performing at the event. Some plan to donate their fees to Palestinian causes. Members of the Finnish band Ruusut announced that they will use their Saturday performance to call for Finland to recognise Palestine and halt arms sales to Israel.
The boycott campaign mirrors similar actions across Europe targeting cultural events with perceived Israeli links. These movements have gained visibility amid ongoing international debates about cultural boycotts and corporate accountability in conflict situations.
