Flow Festival 2024: Five queens of pop performing in Helsinki, Finland next month

Queer music lovers may be feeling a little low this August. Not only might you think that the musical pinnacles of the year already passed us by – Glasto is done, Mighty Hoopla long forgotten – but the summer has never truly arrived!

Perhaps it is time to look a little further afield to another music spectacle happening a plane-ride away in the beautiful city of Helsinki, Finland.

Flow Festival 2024 is just under two weeks away, taking place from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 August, and offers an absolutely stellar line-up! Even the weather is looking promising.

Here, Attitude spills the tea on the best headliners to catch onstage…

Raye

To describe Raye as a grafter is an understatement. After a decade hustling in the industry, most notably featuring on many excellent dance tracks, she has arrived at the top tier of musical success. Her ascension began with the release of her debut album, My 21^st Century Blues, which not only topped the charts and received critical acclaim, but brought with it a plethora of prizes including a sweep of Brit Awards. 

Raye’s performance at Flow as one of the opening acts on Friday will no doubt be a pinnacle in her festival touring this summer that thus far has seen her accompanied by an impressive orchestra. It’s fair to say that she transcends genres – veering from snazzy jazz femme fatale of ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ to the stomping pop queen of ‘You Don’t Know Me’ – so we expect a set reflecting artistry that will appeal to myriad music lovers. Rumoured highlights include a performance of new experimental pop track, ‘Genesis’, and a swing take on RnB hit ‘Escapism’.

Janelle Monae

On Saturday night, we have queer excellence gracing the stage at Flow – the brilliant Janelle Monae. Not only does she offer some of the most uplifting, foot-tapping R&B, soul and funk music of our time, but she does so through her unique perspective as a pansexual non-binary artist. 

Not only does Monae’s music offer groove and edge set alongside smooth and silky vocals, but there is always a sense of play and fun to her performances. We hope to hear the swagger of ‘Champagne Shit’ and ‘Yoga’, alongside the sexy ‘Pynk’ and sway of ‘Electric Lady.’ We have no doubt that there will also be some jaw-dropping fashion on display – remember that Met Gala dress? Her latest album, ‘The Age of Pleasure’, offers many potential future queer anthems that we can’t wait to hear grace the Flow stage!

Aurora

You might know Aurora as the stunning voice of Frozen 2’s melodramatic title track, Into The Unknown. However, fans will know her as one of the most exciting artists on the contemporary music scene. For the uninitiated, Aurora takes the ethereal vocals of Kate Bush and Tori Amos and pairs them with the creativity of Bjork and Bat For Lashes to produce more listener-friendly magic-infused pop music. 

Offering haunting live vocals and dramatic choreography, Aurora is a mesmerising live performer. Promoting new album ‘What Happened To The Heart?’, we are excited to hear new single ‘To Be Alright’ alongside the evocative, elevating ‘Runaway’, the breathtaking ‘Running With The Wolves’ and dancey alt-bop ‘Need A Cure.’ 

Jessie Ware

To the masses, she is Jessie Ware, but to the gays, she is Mother, and after a hectic tour schedule promoting her latest album, ‘That! Feels! Good!’, she is heading to Helsinki! Ware has seen a dramatic rise in recent years to headline star, shifting from a sentimental singer songwriter to a brassy, disco diva who will no doubt have crowds on their feet, bumping and grinding. 

Ware is not only a stellar vocalist, soulful, emotive and elegant, but a performer who brings camp and sexy theatrics to the foreground. We expect a reprisal of her becoming hostess of ‘The Pearl’, the exclusive, old-school night club of her imagination that offers her live sets a sense of drama and intimacy. Expect her disco hits – flirty, cheeky numbers such as ‘Ooh La La’ and ‘Shake The Bottle’ and dancefloor fillers like ‘Freak Me Now’ – alongside her older fan favourites like moving ballad ‘Say You Love Me.’ Perhaps we will even be treated to a performance of new pop-duet with the brilliant Romy, ‘Lift You Up.’ If you missed her fantastic headline set at Mighty Hoopla, Sunday afternoon is your opportunity!

Halsey

Visiting from across the Atlantic is international alt-pop sensation, Halsey, as she continues her tour across Europe. Bringing their brand of authentic, intimate musicianship to the Friday night stage, you can expect high energy and emotion as she performs her raw and emotive brand of pop with attitude. 

A Halsey performance typically entails high concept performances that bring a highly visual element that bring her songs to life. Not only will the set no doubt feature some of her biggest smash hits – the moving mid-tempo sensitivity of Chainsmokers collaboration ‘Closer’ and the lamenting ‘Without Me’ – alongside some deeper cuts serving their fans from latest album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. We will be keeping our ear out for a performance of new single, ‘Lucky’, that features a sample of the eponymous Britney Spears classic.