Sideways

Sideways 2024 @ Helsinki, Nordis

"The Best festival in Finland! No queues, lovely food, spacious and cosy, beautiful and stylish, cool but approachable, surprising and safe, and oh what gigs!" –Laura Friman / Radio Helsinki

"Is Sideways already the most important music festival in Helsinki? The first day was a perfect start to the city's festival summer." –Juuso Määttänen / Helsingin Sanomat

See you on June 13-15, 2024!

Featuring a line-up of the best national and international music acts, paralleled by an elaborate range of exciting, mind-blowing and fun sideshows, Sideways Festival is a true haven of creativity and an absolute must-do for the music aficionado who loves to indulge in diverse food offerings, quality drinks and experiences that are not found everywhere else. Sideways is the best of what Helsinki has got to offer in three days!

We are the only big music & arts festival in Helsinki area in the beginning summer. This year we present nearly 70 live acts plus entertaining and funny sideshows from karaoke sessions to Sideways talks or 80’s arcade games to arts&crafts workshops.

Also the restaurant selection is superb – we’ve chosen some of our favorite vegetarian street food vendors from Helsinki area.

Sideways is located at Nordis area in Töölö district in Helsinki – including Eläintarha park areas and Helsinki Ice Hall’s surroundings. Main stages are located outdoors, and there are also stages inside the Ice Hall. After the sunset the festival continues indoors until early morning hours.

Sideways is a cozy boutique festival – we’ve got plenty of space to chill and hang around without long queues or massive amount of people.

Below you’ll find some of the key information of Sideways. In case we’ve forgotten something important, feel free to send any questions you may have: info@fullsteam.fi.

Artists & schedule

First acts for Sideways 2024 will be announced most likely in the of 2023.

Sideways reserves the right to make changes to festival line-up, performance days and set times without notice whenever necessary. There are both outdoor and indoor venues. Please note that indoor venues have limited capacities – be sure to arrive in time!

Tickets

Tickets for Sideways 2024 will come on sale later this year.

Wristband exchange

We encourage you to exchange your festival ticket to a wristband in advance. Tickets can of course be exchanged at Nordis when you arrive at the festival, but the avoid unnecessary traffic, we recommend to do it in advance. Wristband will be attached your wrist at the pick-up dest, so it's not possible to fetch it for another friend. More info to follow in spring 2024.

Festival Map

You can see the festival site map 2023 here.

Age limit

The age limit to Sideways Festival is 18+ years.

Note that younger audience (under 18 years old) are not allowed to enter Sideways even when accompanied by parent/guardian.

Volunteers

Volunteering at Sideways is fun! We will open the application form again in winter 2024.

Arriving & location

Sideways is located close to the Helsinki city center with great public transportation connections. Festival main gate is located in Nordenskiöldinkatu 13, Helsinki. Check the location at Google Maps.

There is no parking space close to the festival site, we highly recommend you to use public transport, bicycle or your feet.

Walking distance from closest tram and bus stops is just about 200 metres. Distance from the Helsinki city centre to the festival area is 2,5 km and from Pasila train station 1,5 km.

Due to festival's location in city center, unfortunately we don't have designated bicycle parking area. We kindly ask you to park your bicycle for example near Bolt Arena, located close to the festival site.

More information on public transportation timetables and routes can be found at www.reittiopas.fi.

Please remember to respect the local residents and avoid littering in the neighbourhood yards.

Health & Safety

There are no covid-related restrictions in Finland at the moment. However, we hope that each and every one at our festival acts responsibly and takes others into account.

Remember to wash and disinfect your hands often enough, and take care of personal hygiene in general. There are places to wash up and disinfectant around the festival area, both outside and inside the Icehall

We don’t ask to see a vaccine pass while you enter the festival, and no face masks are required.

While attending the festival, please try to keep safety distance to others when possible. We encourage you to move calm from place to place. There’s plenty of room for everyone, so please use it.

We recommend you to move to stages and side show venues early enough before the showtime.

Together we make Sideways safe!

SAFER SPACE PRINCIPLES

Everyone is welcome to Sideways as they are.

Sideways follows safer space principles and any kind of harassment, discrimination or offensive behaviour or speech is not tolerated. If you are a victim of or witness any form of the aforementioned, do not hesitate to contact security or a member of staff. Event staff and security are instructed to pay special attention to and invest in promoting festival visitors’ physical integrity and freedom from discrimination and inappropriate behavior.

You can reach the event’s harassment liaison during and after the event by email safety@fullsteam.fi or during the festival opening hours also by phone +358 40 7072293.

Every festival goer and staff member has a right to feel safe without a fear of discrimination, harassment or sexual, physical or verbal offensive behavior. Everyone should participate in creating a safer space by paying attention to their behavior at the event.

Safer Space Principles at Sideways

Respect other people’s physical and mental space. Do not touch another without asking permission. Remember, you cannot know another person’s boundaries without asking. Also, make room for yourself if needed.
Do not humiliate or embarrass others. Refrain from gossiping and judging other’s appearance.
Do not make assumptions based on a person’s appearance or actions. Do not make assumptions about anyone’s sexuality, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, values, socio-economic background, health, or ability to function.
Give space. Do your best to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in the conversation. Also respect the privacy of others and treat sensitive topics with respect.
Listen and learn. Approach new topics, people and points of view without prejudice. Approach all new matters and situations as an opportunity to learn and develop.
Apologize if you have offended others with or without intention.

Intervene if you notice anyone behaving inappropriately or otherwise breaking the Safer Space Principles.

Cloakroom

Optional cloakroom available next to entrance. Cloakroom is open until the festival gates close.

Payments

Most common debit and credit cards are accepted in all restaurants, bars, merchandise desk, cloakroom and other points of sale. We don't accept cash at all.

Debit or credit cards are the fastest way to make a payment. In order to speed up the payment situations, we recommend especially contactless payment.

Also mobile payment applications using contactless payment are accepted in all registers.

Sideways' payment solutions are powered by CoreGo and Verifone.

Photo policy

Photographing for private use is allowed, but remember to respect the privacy of other guests. Some artists may have photo policies of their own, so please follow the guidelines given by the security. Video recording without permission is prohibited. Please leave tripods and large camera equipment backbags home.

Sideways' photo and video team will take photo and video footage around festival area for marketing purposes.

Official hashtag: #sidewaysHEL

Press & Accreditation

In case you have any questions regarding Sideways festival, please contact publicist Iida Nieminen (iida@fullsteam.fi).

For hi res press photos, interview contacts and other material, check the press section on our website.

Sideways' accreditation will be open again in spring 2024. Please note, that we have only very limited amount of complimentary tickets available. Filling the application doesn't mean that your request will be approved.

Accessibility

In the attached Sideways 2023 area map you can find the routes and services designated for customers using a wheelchair and for those otherwise physically disabled. If you wish to receive further information in addition to this sheet, we advise you to turn to the Sideways’ info desk or to the nearest security person. Via our info desk we can connect you with the person best suited for helping with accessibility matters.

Sideways area consists mainly of flat surface made of concrete and asphalt. However, there are also staircases and venues located in lower floors within Nordis. All venues are accessible but the entrances to the venues may differ from the entrances used by other members of the audience. We encourage you to reserve enough time for transitions.

The easy access toilets are located indoors in the northern end of the ice hall, as well as outdoors in the main stage’s lavatory area. The easy access toilet located in the ice hall is locked and the key can be requested from the first aid service point next to it. The easy access toilets located outdoors are always prioritized for disabled customers and customers entitled to Vessapassi (“toilet card”).

There are three easy access seatings/platforms in the area which are located near to the Sideways Stage, Black Box and Basement. Please note that easy access platforms have limited capacities, and there are also reserved seats for assistants (subject to availability). The locations are marked on the map. Other stages do not have an easy access seating.

Accessing the Sideways Stage’s seating and the field surrounding the main stage:

The route from the food area to the main stage area is marked on the map with dashed line. The route for other members of the audience passes through a staircase, so you can use the alternative route through a guarded ramp for transitions. When in doubt, we encourage you to ask the safety person next to the ramp for advice. The easy access seating near the Sideways Stage is located on the left side when facing the main stage.

Accessing the seating in Black Box:

The easy access seating is in the southern end of the ice hall. See map for accessing the seating from street level. The security personnel are glad to help when necessary. You may bring your friends to this location to watch Black Box shows together.

Accessing the seating in Basement:

The Basement venue is in the ice hall’s cellar department. Accessing Basement’s easy access seating from food vendors area is possible via the same guarded ramp as to the main stage area. After the ramp, one must turn right to find a gentle slope. A door leading to an easy access to Basement is located at the end of the slope on the right (the door is marked with a “Harjoitushalli” sign). We encourage you to ask the safety person at the top of the ramp for advice when necessary.Please note that the Basement bar is located on the ground floor which is only accessible through a staircase.

All other venues are accessible without any specific arrangements.

We wish you an excellent weekend at Sideways!

We are happy to answer any questions considering this matter: info@fullsteam.

Drinks, restaurants & snacks

We have great bar and restaurant selection available around festival site where you can enjoy cold drinks and delicious street food. Starting Sideways 2022, we now serve vegetarian or vegan food only.

We have a wide selection of Brooklyn Brewery's beers, Viinitie's wines, various coctails, non-alcoholic mocktails and other drinks available.

You can bring one (1) empty max 0.5 litre plastic bottle of water to the festival area. There are several water re-fill points around the area. Please note that it is not allowed to bring any kind of drinks, glass or metal cans to the festival area. You are welcome to bring with you reasonably sized snacks such as bread, fruits, candies, crisps etc.

Merchandise

This year’s Sideways merchandise is printed at the festival by Carlings. At the festival store, clients get to pick a print and a product from a selection, and they will be printed while waiting. The selection consists of different short and long-sleeved shirts and a tote bag. The artworks can also be printed on your own piece of clothing.

Also artist merchandises are available at Carlings store close to Sideways' main stage. Unfortunately we don't know in advance, which bands will bring merchandises to Sideways.

Forbidden items

Please note that it is forbidden to bring any drinks, glass bottles or metal cans, guns, knives (or similar tools), tripods or selfie sticks, fireworks, aerosol/spray cans and other dangerous objects to the festival area. Umbrellas are not allowed as they block the view to stages. Also, please leave picnic chairs at home, there are benches and terraces in the area.

Needles to say, festival environment is not suitable place for pet animals. And yes, we are 18+ years festival (strict, no exceptions) so remember to book babysitter in advance.

We recommend that you'll bring empty waterbottle (max 0,5l), some sunscreen and a small bottle bottle of hand disinfection sanitizer (about 100ml).

Values

Sideways’s goal is to be a 100% equal festival, we welcome every festival visitor to Sideways just the way they are! We do not condone discrimination of any kind, for example towards gender, a specific ethnic group, skin colour or sexual orientation. We hope everyone respects other guests of the festival and treats others as they wish to be treated. Thank you for co-operation!

We are committed to promoting equality, diversity, environmental and social responsibility, justice and safety principles which materialize in the festival’s event production, recruitment and hiring, staff orientation, program planning and booking. We require our event staff, performers, partners and subcontractors to commit to these values.

1. Equality and diversity

- We acknowledge individual’s diversity and treat everyone equally regardless of e.g. skin colour, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
- Every employee, partner, and subcontractor of Sideways signs a contract including these values and commits to following them.
- We are committed to promoting equal music and event industry by acknowledging diversity and booking performers with different backgrounds.
- In our communication and marketing we do not single out people by e.g. gender: there are no male or female artists at Sideways, only artists.
- Every festival guest is equal. There are no VIP tickets, and buying a better festival experience with money is not possible.
- All toilets are unisex.
- Event accessibility is taken into account at every step of production. The whole event area is constructed to be as accessible as possible, and event partners are expected to consider accessibility in production and customer service.
- Sideways is a part of Equal music sector initiative and has thus undertaken to draw up and update an equality and non-discrimination plan and to apply it in practice.

2. Environmental and social responsibility

- We acknowledge that organizing a festival burdens the environment and we do our best to minimize the stress. We invest in recycling and reusing materials.
- We follow the public administration regulations and Finnish law regarding event organisation and it’s environmental burden responsibly. In support of the environmental work, we are a part of the EcoCompass program for which we received a certificate in 2019.
- Starting Sideways 2022, we serve vegetarian and vegan food only.

3. Safety

At Sideways every festival visitor’s and performer’s physical integrity is respected: we look after each other. We have a zero-tolerance policy for violence and offensive behaviour and speech. Event staff and stewards are instructed to pay special attention to and invest in promoting festival visitors’ physical integrity and freedom of discrimination. However, if you experience or notice offensive speech or behaviour, you can turn to any festival employee or steward or contact the festival office: 09-2905 0806, safety@fullsteam.fi.

Every year we donate the accreditation fees from customers arriving with free tickets (e.g. invited guests, artists’ guests, media) to an organisation that works for socially valuable causes, e.g. Amnesty International’s work for refugees, Seta´s project to change the trans law, and Global Clinic’s healthcare project for people with an irregular immigration status in Finland. This year, we will direct the funds raised to Unicef’s work in Ukraine to help local people affected by the war.

Together we make a festival where everyone is welcome as themselves and feels safe to visit!

PR & Marketing:
Iida Nieminen (+358 40 5186793, iida@fullsteam.fi)

General inquiries regarding Sideways:
Johannes Kinnunen (+358 41 5336211, johannes@fullsteam.fi)

Partners:
Tuomas Kallio (044-5939566, tuomas@fullsteam.fi)

Production Manager / festival area:
Mikael Neves (+358 40 8306805, mikael@fullsteam.fi)

Production Manager / artists:
Henna Tikkanen (+358 40 1637223, henna@fullsteam.fi)

Accreditation:
Accreditation will open in spring 2024

Invoices:
accounting@fullsteam.fi

Vendors & restaurants:
Please send an application to johannes@fullsteam.fi

Info