“Oulu2026 is created by hundreds of cultural organisations, festivals and creative professionals. The scope is unprecedented, and I believe we will see as many as 3,000 individual events throughout the year,” says Samu Forsblom, Programme Director of Oulu2026.
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Spanish flamenco dancer Israel Galván performing at Aalto Silo in 2023, with the Oulu-based screaming men’s choir Huutajat in the background. Photo by Juuso Haarala.
From Northern Lights to the Midnight Sun
The celebrations begin on 31 December 2025 with a spectacular televised New Year’s Eve show, followed in mid-January by the Oulu2026 Opening Festival, a city-wide weekend of concerts, exhibitions and encounters. Early highlights include international exhibitions – for example, Fotografiska Tallinn and Kiasma presenting their exhibitions in Oulu – the world premiere of a new Sámi opera, and winter gatherings that celebrate snow, ice and northern culture in striking settings.
February and March offer a series of winter events – from snow sculpting and ice swimming to electronic music and light experiences on frozen seas – creating an atmosphere where northern culture meets European creativity.
Permanent art projects include Climate Clock, a new public route of works by renowned international artists where art, science and nature intertwine, inspiring environmental awareness and fresh reflections in the stunning regional landscape. Opening in June.
Food, music and community are also at the heart of the summer. A kilometre-long dinner table through the city centre will bring together locals and visitors in August, part of the Arctic Food Lab programme that celebrates northern cuisine. Major festivals across the region – from chamber music to jazz and circus – will present international premieres and unique site-specific experiences.
The summer will conclude with a major outdoor spectacle, Delta Life, at Oulu’s historic birthplace, weaving together the stories of local waterways and inviting audiences to experience it along the riverfront and across the city.
Art, Technology and Northern Magic
Autumn will highlight the synergy between art, science and technology. The much-loved Lumo Light Festival expands into the ten-day Lumo Art & Tech Festival, combining international expertise in visual art, light, and sound. Large-scale installations will transform public spaces, while immersive works in unexpected venues will challenge perceptions of nature, space and time. Underground Clash (working title) is an immersive art installation by Danish artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen, created from ecological fieldwork within Finland, and staged beneath central Oulu in the Kivisydän parking facility.
The year will conclude in December with the world premiere of Snowball, a spectacular family musical set in the land of the Northern Lights. Combining northern legends, music and storytelling, Snowball promises to be an enchanting finale to Oulu’s year as European Capital of Culture.
About Oulu2026
Oulu, Finland’s northern capital with 220,000 inhabitants, will hold the European Capital of Culture title in 2026 alongside 39 partner municipalities. The Oulu2026 programme is built around the theme of Cultural Climate Change, meaning a lasting enrichment of cultural life – connecting people through world-class experiences, creativity, and new ways of thinking.
Oulu2026 is supported by the City of Oulu, Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture, and a wide range of regional and national partners.
For the event calendar, visit: www.oulu2026.eu.
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