Ruisrock is one of Finland’s biggest music festivals, held annually in Turku on the beautiful island of Ruissalo. Since 1970, the festival has offered a stunning sea view and a natural environment, drawing more than 100,000 people each year.
However, the atmospheric Ruissalo National Park has always posed challenges as a festival venue: logistics and, in modern times, telecommunications must be meticulously planned. Ruisrock, which annually surpasses 100,000 attendees, must carefully consider how to ensure uninterrupted payment flow and the required network connectivity to meet the evolving demands of the growing festival.
“As Ruissalo is a valuable area both in terms of nature and cultural history, environmental considerations are emphasized in nearly all operations.”
In 2024, Ruisrock became the first fully cashless event on the festival organization’s part. This required an investment in a flexible payment system and a partner capable of delivering payment processing with professional expertise and precision. CoreGo not only built the payment system for Ruissalo but also set up a network to support payment traffic during the festival weekend. CoreGo’s team remained on-site throughout the event to ensure immediate assistance in case of issues.
Ruissalo, with its natural beauty, is a stunning but challenging setting for a major event
Organizing one of Finland’s largest events on an island surrounded by nature is no simple task. Every aspect of production must account for the environment and complex logistics.
“Given Ruissalo’s natural and cultural-historical significance, environmental considerations and respect for the area are central to all activities,” explains Miro Laukkanen, CoreGo’s Technical Manager.
“The unique location brings its own challenges,” adds Sara Sarkkinen, Ruisrock’s Administrative Manager.
“When building a festival from scratch, there’s little existing infrastructure compared to other venues. The payment system is a critical service that must work.”
For CoreGo’s payment system, a private, secure network using licensed radio frequencies was established. CoreGo further ensured reliability with satellite backup. Building the wireless network takes only hours, saving significant time compared to cabling, which would take days.
The wireless solution also minimizes environmental disruption during setup – a key priority for CoreGo in Ruissalo’s protected setting.
According to Sarkkinen, a dedicated payment network is vital:
“The area has many operators and functions requiring connectivity. With high network demand, it’s crucial that payment traffic has its own dedicated connection. This gives us two separate networks that can support each other if needed.”
For Ruisrock, partnering with a provider attuned to large events is key
Payment system design always starts with the client’s needs. CoreGo’s team identifies critical requirements and areas for flexibility. In event production, sudden changes are common, and preparedness is essential, says Laukkanen.
“Choosing a partner, it was important to find a provider experienced in festival environments,” Sarkkinen notes.
She adds that the organization was pleased with CoreGo as a collaborator.
“At large events, you must expect the unexpected yearly. CoreGo has a skilled team, with whom solving challenges is always effortless.”
Ensuring uninterrupted service and safety is critical in event environments. With heavy traffic of both personnel and festival visitors in the festival area, CoreGo carefully plans the secure placement of all needed equipment such as antennas.
“Choosing a partner, it was important to find a provider experienced in festival environments.”
CoreGo’s Laukkanen also emphasizes open communication between event organizers and service providers. Close collaboration and proactive communication are vital.
A seamless payment system’s impact on attendee experience is significant
Well-functioning payment connections are an essential part of the festival attendee experience, with reliable payment processing being vital for food and beverage operations. Food and drinks are essential services during a weekend-long event. With Ruisrock’s basic ticket allowing only one entry to the festival area per day, many attendees rely entirely on the island’s food services throughout the long event day.
“The effects of an unreliable or poorly functioning payment system are directly visible in sales during the event,” says CoreGo’s Miro Laukkanen.
“When card payments are the only accepted method, it is critical that payment processing works seamlessly throughout the entire festival without interruptions.”
Ruisrock’s food services are managed by Helsinki Rock and Roll Oy (HRR). Toni Piiroinen, Director of Event Restaurant Operations at HRR, emphasizes that smooth payment processing is of great importance both for customers and the staff of event restaurants:
“At Ruisrock, there are tens of thousands of customers consuming services, and they expect everything to work flawlessly. When card payments are the only option, it is critical for the event that payment processing operates seamlessly throughout the entire festival without disruptions.”
For food services, Piiroinen highlights that the system’s most important features also include the clarity and modifiability of the backend system. In an event environment, last-minute changes to product offerings are often necessary. This was achieved effortlessly with CoreGo’s system.
Equally important is having nearby support during the event if issues arise with payment terminals or system usage.
“Problems occur at every event of this scale, and having on-call staff ready in these situations is essential – issues were resolved easily and with rapid response times by CoreGo’s dedicated team,” Piiroinen states, also thanking CoreGo for their readiness to always provide HRR staff with sufficient training and onboarding for system use.
Ruisrock’s Sara Sarkkinen also notes that payment system functionality has a significant impact on the attendee experience. When working perfectly, it remains an invisible part of the event. However, if problems arise, it can strongly influence the entire impression of the event.
“Functional payment processing profoundly shapes the attendee experience in the background: instead of time being spent queuing and purchasing, guests can focus on enjoying the event more.”