CHILDREN OF BODOM will return to a Finnish stage in 2027, co-headlining the TUSKA festival in a performance billed as a celebration of late frontman ALEXI LAIHO rather than a conventional reunion.
The melodic death metal greats disbanded in 2019, a little over a year before LAIHO — the band's guitarist, vocalist and creative engine — died in December 2020 from alcohol-related degeneration of the liver and pancreas. For TUSKA, which runs July 2-4 at Suvilahti in Helsinki, founding members Henkka Seppälä (bass), Janne Wirman (keyboards) and Jaska Raatikainen (drums) will reunite alongside early guitarist Alexander Kuoppala. Samy Elbanna of LOST SOCIETY steps in on guitar and vocals to honour LAIHO's parts.
The TUSKA booking follows two sold-out tribute shows at Helsinki's Tavastia club this February, which the band had long hesitated to attempt. "We just have three guys and a legacy," Wirman recalled of their initial doubts, before crediting their Austrian booking agent's persistence. He said "something truly magical happened" on stage, with the crowd reaction pushing the musicians to their best — and confirmed the celebration will continue beyond TUSKA.
The 2027 edition is shaping up as a heavyweight bill. Also confirmed are LORNA SHORE, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, KANONENFIEBER, FOX LAKE, GAEREA, AVRALIZE and SINIZTER, with more names to come. Limited early-bird three-day tickets, priced at 229 euros, went on sale June 29 to newsletter subscribers ahead of the general public, and the festival enforces an 18+ age limit.
The renewed activity coincides with the band's official biography, published in August 2025 through Rocket 88, which charts their three-decade history through interviews with members and longtime collaborators. For fans who never got the chance to say goodbye, TUSKA 2027 offers a rare opportunity to hear these songs roar again.