Lemonator is a Helsinki-based alternative power-pop band founded in 1995 by singer-guitarist Lasse Kurki and guitarist Risto Eskolin, completed by bassist Antti Karisalmi and drummer Kelly Ketonen. Over roughly two decades the band released six studio albums - from the debut Yellow (1997) to Shake Shake Shake (2010) - and earned a reputation as one of Finland's most stylistically assured guitar-pop acts, with songs such as "Is it you" and "You stole my heart" reaching wide audiences through major advertising campaigns. The band played its farewell show at Helsinki's Tavastia in August 2015, then went silent for over ten years before announcing a comeback for summer 2026 to mark the 30th anniversary of their debut EP.
Lemonator announced a comeback for summer 2026, their first public performances since August 2015, kicking off at the Jytäkesä Go-Go festival in Helsinki on 1 August followed by three club shows in September.
The September club tour includes stops in Tuusula (Krapin Paja, 4 Sep), Helsinki (Tavastia, 12 Sep) and Tampere (Tavara-asema, 25 Sep), with support from fellow returning act The Sugarrush at all three dates.
Frontman Lasse Kurki said the reunion was triggered by a private invitation to play a friend's 50th birthday party, after which the band decided to book proper shows.
Lemonator was named among the headline acts for the fifth edition of the Jytäkesä Go-Go festival, described as the event's biggest surprise booking of the year.
