If it’s soft tones of dreamy lo-fi angst that appeal to you the most, then brace yourself for an avalanche of muted sounds on Friday 3 June, when Kurt Vile shuffles onto the Tavastia stage.

The singer made his commercial recording debut in 2008 with Constant Hitmaker, a collection of tunes that had been predominantly recorded at home onto CD-R, bundled with a clutch of studio polished tracks. Creating immediate waves on the indie rock underground scene, comparisons to Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty emerged almost as quickly as his star began to rise over a series of albums that embraced his hands-in-pockets approach to pessimism.

Documenting Finnish Americans and Finnish Canadians, Vesa Oja’s exhibition Finglish is on display from 8 May until 28 July at The Finnish Museum of Photography. The collection of images reveals the dreams, utopias and homesickness of the various immigrants he has come into contact with, and documents their Finnish-flavoured North American life.

CELEBRATING its 10th anniversary this year, the Annikki Poetry Festival is being held once again in Tampere, on 8 June. One of the most significant poetry events across the country, the festival has branched out in recent years to incorporate also music and arts.

A non-profit event organised by volunteers, the festival venue is once again to be found at a 100-year-old wooden quarter in the centre of Tampere, which continues to create a warm and special atmosphere where poets and their audience come together.

Spanning his entre career that has stretched over three decades, a major exhibition of world-renowned photographer Steve McCurry is on display at Helsinki’s Taidehalli from Saturday 1 June until Sunday 4 August.

One of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography for more than 30 years, McCurry’s work has graced numerous magazine and book covers, over a dozen books, and exhibitions around the world.

HAVING amassed sales of some 25 million albums throughout his career, Josh Groban received his big break in 1998, when he performed a duet with Céline Dion for the Grammy Awards, filling in for Andrea Bocelli during rehearsal. From here things snowballed for the young singer, culminating in his current position as one of the most successful singer-songwriters of the modern era.