Heaven Up will be seen at the Glow Festival 2026 in the Glow Celebration concert, bringing to the stage a piece of Finnish gospel pop-rock energy from the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Heaven Up was formed in Nokia in the spring of 1987, at a time when Gospel Power was ending its career and only their kindred spirit Heureka remained active in the scene, leaving a “band vacuum.” The group originally performed under the name Skylight and was featured on the Gospel Marathon recording. This quickly opened many doors and led to a growing number of live performances. Later, Sampsa Löppönen joined the band on saxophone and keyboards, and the name was changed to Heaven Up.
The band released their debut album in October 1990, which was launched at a major concert held at Lahti Sports and Fair Center (Suurhalli). The recording was also the first ever released by Finngospel on both CD and cassette. The concert was recorded for MTV3 under the title Huippugospelia and was broadcast on the channel in early autumn.
The band’s most well-known song is “Sun ristis voimaan,” which is still performed by many bands, solo artists, and choirs today. Although the band released only one album, its impact has endured to this day. Heaven Up made several comeback performances between 1998 and 2002, and now at the Glow Festival in Nokia Arena, that era will receive the recognition it deserves after more than 20 years.
