NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon has cancelled her appearance at the free concert marking forty years of the Helsinki Festival, set to take place on the Night of the Arts — Friday, August 22 — at Helsinki's Senate Square. She explained in a statement, "Due to illness I have to cancel my planned guest appearance in Helsinki Senate Square tomorrow. It was a big honour for me to be invited to this event and I feel sorry for those who had planned of seeing me there. Unfortunately, I have a cold going and I need to rest, get better and stronger for our heavy upcoming U.S. tour next week. NIGHTWISH duties do come first so I feel that my health and voice at this moment is more important, to be able to give our American fans a great tour over there. I am very, very sorry, but this is life and we can all get ill and exhausted and especially singers' voices are very fragile for colds and flus."

Tomorrow's free concert marking forty years of the Helsinki Festival will feature rock classics performed by top Finnish artists, taking the audience right back to 1968, the year the festival first began.

All residents and visitors are invited to take part in the anniversary celebration, which is organized in partnership with Helsingin Sanomat.