Erja Lyytinen – Hanna Pakarinen – Kärtsy Hatakka

Guitar virtuoso Erja Lyytinen has been delighting concert audiences with her Blue Christmas tour since 2017! Lyytinen is one of the leading blues-rock guitarists operating in the international market and has received several awards in different categories over the years. In 2022, Lyytinen made history by becoming the first Finnish artist to be nominated at the Canadian Maple Blues Awards. In November 2024, Lyytinen was awarded the Angel of Rock Award by the HRH Festival in the UK. This award is given for outstanding contributions to rock, metal or blues music. During her career, Lyytinen has performed alongside some of the world’s top guitarists, including Carlos Santana, Sonny Landreth, Jennifer Batten and Joe Bonamassa. Lyytinen’s latest album “Smell the Roses” was released in spring 2025. The album has received praise from international publications and was ranked sixth on the UK IBBA April 2025 radio list. Lyytinen was able to showcase her singing skills in the Masked Singer programme as Luuranko, a skeleton character. This year’s Blue Christmas concert will again feature a selection of Lyytinen’s work, intimate blue tunes and rocking Christmas songs performed with great guest artists!

Hanna Pakarinen is known as the first and by far the most legendary winner of the Finnish Idol. No less than 1.6 million viewers watched her win the title through their TV screens. Pakarinen stood in front of even bigger audiences of millions of people in 2007, when the artist and her gorgeous voice represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki in a rare occurrence where Finland got to host the contest. Hanna Pakarinen, whose solo albums have sold gold and platinum, has always radiated deep passion for music throughout her career. She is a trailblazer whose example has had a major impact on the path of many rising stars of the new wave. The cross-generational appreciation has only grown since Pakarinen ended her eight-year hiatus from releasing new material in autumn 2021. Performing is the most important part of being an artist for Pakarinen, and she has described the stage as one of the best places in the world. Pakarinen brought joy to the Blue Christmas concert audience already during the 2024 tour in Rovaniemi, lighting up the Christmas concert audience with her positive personality.

Kärtsy Hatakka is best known as the singer and primus motor of the Waltari band, active since the mid-1980s. Combining metal, art music, folk music and funk, Waltari has paved the way for the success of Finnish metal bands in Europe, and has performed at mega festivals such as Roskilde and Wacken. In recent years, Kärtsy has also become known to the general public as an impressive solo performer who crosses genre boundaries with convincing ease. Kärtsy’s solo production has moved from pop to rock, and his signature sound has put his own mark on all the cover songs he has performed. In the spring of 2025, Kärtsy stunned the Finnish TV audience with his skills and authentic rock star persona in the Tähdet, Tähdet programme. This year, Kärtsy will captivate the audience of Blue Christmas with his unique stage charisma and signature sound!

Age rating: G

Duration approx. 2 h 15 min, intermission included