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Taiwan’s representative to Finland, Freddy Lim, has used a joint heavy metal concert in Helsinki to reach Finnish politicians. The event, “F:F:F-Formosa:Finland:Fest,” took place at Tiivistämö and featured Taiwanese and Finnish bands on the same stage in late November.
Lim performed with his band Chthonic, joined by Taiwanese groups Crescent Lament and Flesh Juicer, and three Finnish metal or folk-metal bands. A Reddit clip of Lim’s performance quickly gained traction, receiving around 52,000 likes and hundreds of comments within hours.
According to Lim, many Finnish politicians who rarely attended Taiwan-related events accepted invitations to this concert. Some even asked to bring additional guests, which the representative office saw as a clear sign of increased interest.
Lim described the concert as part of a broader strategy to use culture and music to connect Taiwan with the world. The show was organised by Taiwan’s General Association of Chinese Culture, with support from the foreign and culture ministries.
Since taking up the post in July 2025, Lim said he has gradually felt more at ease in Finnish political circles. Local politicians now invite him to new heavy metal venues and share concert information, reflecting how music is opening doors for Taiwan–Finland contacts.
