Roy Ayers, BADBADNOTGOOD, Joshua Redman And More Announced For Flow Festival’s Bright Balloon 360 Stage

Flow’s famous landmark, Bright Balloon 360° with its circular stage topped by a luminous balloon, will be located in a new area of Suvilahti. The stage will host Joshua Redman, Roy Ayers, BadBadNotGood, Fatoumata Diawara & Hindi Zahra, Ibibio Sound Machine, Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang, Linnea Olsson and Skott, among others.

Flow Festival's impressive and intimate Bright Balloon 360° stage will get a new area all of its own. The circular seating area will fit more people than in previous years and getting in and out of the stage area is easier. The whole Flow area is growing this year and moving around the area will be easier. The biggest single change is the relocation of the Bright Balloon 360° stage to its own area and the new audience seating.

American jazz star Joshua Redman brings a stellar band featuring Scott Colley, Ron Miles and Brian Blade to the Balloon stage with his new project Still Dreaming. The stage will also host 76-year old jazz funk legend, vibraphonist Roy Ayers, as well as the hottest jazz ensemble in the world right now BadBadNotGood, who will be featured on Kendrick Lamar's new album. Trumpet player Verneri Pohjolaplays the compositions of his late father Pekka Pohjola, the internationally acclaimed and revered prog-rock bassist and composer. The Bright Balloon 360° stage will also host the youngest Finnish jazz band to ever record an album, Milo & Moses. Timo Lassy will celebrate the tenth anniversary of embarking on a solo career with special guests American vocalist Joyce Elaine Yuille and Finnish sax legend Eero Koivistoinen.

As always, the day at Flow’s Bright Balloon 360° stage will end with African rhythms. Taking the stage will be Ibibio Sound Machine with their amalgamation of West African funk, disco, modern post-punk and electro, Sierra Leone's bubu master Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang as well as Fatoumata Diawara & Hindi Zahra who draw on African blues and folk.

Bright Balloon 360° stage will host performances by promising new country and Americana artist Max Jury following in the footsteps of Gram Parsons, folk musician Julie Byrne, Swedish singer Skott, her compatriot singer and cellist Linnea Olsson, Finnish singer Jonna Tervomaa who arrives to Flow with a lineup specially customized for the Balloon stage, Ona Kamu who just released her latest album Se kaikki jää and Helsinki-based instrumental group VIRTA. Mikko Joensuu's performance has been moved to Saturday.

Previously confirmed acts at Flow include Frank Ocean, Lana Del Rey, The xx, Aphex Twin, London Grammar, Ryan Adams, Flume, Moderat, Young Thug, Goldfrapp, Death Grips, The Afghan Whigs, Sparks, Car Seat Headrest, Sampha and Angel Olsen.

Media accreditation is now open and the form is available at Flow Festival's website  Flow Festival takes place in Helsinki's Suvilahti area on August 11–13 2017.

Flow Festival's confirmed partners for 2017 are main partner Lapin Kulta, partners Aalto University, American Express, Bright Finland, Oatly, OP Financial Group, Paulig, Plan B, Stopteltat and Sun Effects, as well as media partners Basso, Clear Channel, Helsingin Sanomat and Resident Advisor.
 
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