From the beach to the fells – that could well be the slogan of Bättre Folk (Better people), the ironically named hipster music festival that began on the windswept island of Hailuoto in the Bay of Bothnia and has since spawned a winter sibling in Pyhä, a ski resort in Finnish Lapland.
Bättre Folk i Fjällen is a deliberately small-scale event that its organisers like to call ‘the coolest festival in the universe’. Alongside live music, the weekend comes packed with winter activities, from toboggan riding and ice swimming to ski school for beginners. And of course there’s freeriding – Pyhä is widely regarded as Finland’s top destination for off-piste skiing.
Festival venues are dotted around the Pyhä ski area: Camp Kitchen & Bar and the adjacent Mesta at the foot of the slopes, Tsokka at the summit, and Hanki Baari on the opposite side of the fell. Outdoors, a stage hosts the already-legendary Frost Disco, where festival-goers dance under the stars in sub-zero temperatures. The Frost Disco is included in the weekend ticket, though a limited number of standalone tickets are also sold.
This winter’s line-up features Antti Autio (solo), Ursus Factory, Lyyti, Good Boys, Asla Jo, Ulla Lintulampi, Tympeät tytöt, Orvokki, Helmi Marleena and Jytää ja Iskelmää.
Two-day passes are on sale via Tiketti for €92.50.