There will be something for everyone: exhibitions, festivals, world premieres, performing arts, village festivals, permanent artworks, sports, and a wide range of other programs in 40 municipalities. The year will bring thousands of events. The event calendar is available for viewing and will be updated as the date approaches.

"Oulu2026 will be shaped by hundreds of arts organizations, festivals, and other creative industry players. That's a huge amount of expertise and commitment. I believe there will be as many as 3,000 individual events in total. Our shared year will shine a new light on the importance of culture and creativity in all our activities," says Samu Forsblom, Program Director of Oulu2026.

The beginning of the year is a time for northern culture and winter events

The beginning of the year boldly invites the audience to the edge, where the unique culture of the north shines in all its diversity amid the snow and ice of winter, together with European partners. The Capital of Culture year will kick off on December 31, 2025, with the Vuosi vaihtuu (The Year Changes) show, which will also be broadcast on Yle channels. Finland's top artists, such as KUUMAA, Suvi Teräsniska, pehmoaino, Goldielocks, and Ege Zulu, will take to the stage. will be published in the fall. Tickets for the event are already on sale.The Capital of Culture year will be celebrated by the entire nation at the Oulu2026 Opening Festival. Lasting for a weekend (January 16–18), the festival will take over downtown Oulu and showcase what the year has to offer. The full festival program will be announced in November 2025.

During the opening festivities, visitors will have their first opportunity in Finland to see the photography exhibition curated by Fotografiska Tallinn: Gioca su, a group exhibition by 17 artists at Kauppakortteli Pekuri (opening January 14). The City Hall will be transformed into a media art center when the Korvamato – Mediataidetta Kiasmasta exhibition (opening on January 15) and the Rauhankoneen kerroksia artwork (opening on January 15) open there on January 15, 2026. You can participate in the virtual layers of Rauhankone by discussing peace on the rauhankone.eu website starting on September 4.

The opening of the new Kotilo Children's Culture Center will be celebrated at the Central Library in Saari during the opening festivities. The Children's Culture Center offers a diverse and high-quality children's culture that attracts both locals and tourists.

Sámi culture will be on display in a variety of ways during the early part of the year. The world premiere of the Sámi opera Ovllá will be held at the Oulu Theater on January 16. Ovllá is an opera about the disappearance of truth and great loneliness. It brings to the grand stage of the Oulu Theater the perspective of the Sámi, the only indigenous people in the Nordic countries, and the painful consequences that state-led oppression continues to have on new generations of Sámi. The Eanangiella – Language of the Earth exhibition at the Oulu Art Museum introduces visitors to the diversity, resilience, and beauty of Sámi culture (opening Jan. 16).

The exhibition combines works from the Sápmi Triennale touring exhibition of contemporary Sámi art, duodji (Sámi handicrafts), works from different generations, and soundscapes.

"The opening festivities kick off the year's cultural program in a big way. In addition to the abundance of art and events filling the city, there are four significant exhibitions to experience. Now is the time to get excited about the north," says Samu Forsblom, program director of Oulu2026.

The super weeks of winter events continue in February and March, when, among other things, the World Championships in cross-country skiing invite you to Pudasjärvi (February 6–8), the Nallikari Snow Fest in Oulu presents the works of international snow sculptors (February 10–14), Polar Bear Pitching takes start-up entrepreneurs to the ice hole (February 26), the urban winter festival Frozen People dances to the beat of electronic music amid light and art on the sea ice (February 28), and the World Winter Swimming Championships are held from March 3 to 8.

In February, the Capital of Culture's own knitwear collection will be released, with patterns inspired by the Turku Island Open-Air Museum. The aim of the Taito Pohjois-Pohjanmaa ry project is to inspire the people of Oulu and Europe to take up knitting and to highlight the communal spirit and well-being benefits of handicrafts.

Summer brings culture and art everywhere
Spring and summer awaken the wild city, bringing out the best of light, nature, and urban life. Culture can also be seen in new and surprising places.

Works located in different parts of Oulu will form a permanent art route called Climate Clock, which deals with northern nature and climate change. The public artworks are created by international artists. The project will be completed in June 2026. The ARToulu art area will bring dozens of new works of art to the Oulu river delta, in seven different districts. The Oulu2026 murals are already delighting people in different parts of the city, and the last of the six murals will be completed in the center of Oulu. Another fascinating destination is the AaltoSiilo in Toppila, designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto in 1931, which is being given a new lease of life.

The Rohkeasti reunella (Boldly on the Edge) stadium concert on May 13 highlights the joy of music and community spirit as performed by children and young people. The performers will be music students of various ages and students from the Madetoja Music High School. The students will be joined on stage by star artists from Oulu.

The Circus Festival OU, held for the first time in Hiukkavaara, will spread from street circus to circus tents and family programs to experimental evening clubs from June 15 to 18. Aisti Fest on June 5–6 is a new event offering food and drink, music, workshops, art, literature, and culture.

Lumo Company's Ylitys will offer a historic moment on August 22: for the first time, three Finnish women will cross flowing water with only ropes under their feet, performed by world-class tightrope walkers Sanja Kosonen, Hanna Moisala, and Anniina Peltovako.

Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first jazz musicians from America to Finland on the ship Andania. Suona la musica jazz in formato sintetizzato will be celebrated in connection with Elojazz on July 31–August 1. A New Orleans-style jazz village will be built in Oulu, returning to the roots of rhythm music.

On August 15, a summer evening table setting invites everyone to dine and enjoy themselves at a beautifully laid table. The kilometer-long table on Hallituskatu will be covered with a tablecloth created in collaboration between designers from Oulu and China. It will be designed and implemented jointly by Susanna Sivonen from the Northern Design Center Proton and students from the China Academy of Art in Oulu's sister city Hangzhou. The event is part of Oulu2026's Arctic Food Lab program, which aims to raise awareness of northern food culture.

Thirteen of Europe's best festivals will each offer something new to experience in 2026. Kuhmo Chamber Music will build on the theme of "Building in the Heart of Europe" with three world premieres commissioned from Olli Mustonen, Krishna Nagaraja, and Cecilia Damström. The world's oldest music video festival, the Oulu Music Video Festival, will also launch a European competition series for the festivals.

The summer will culminate in the Delta Life celebration weekend. This free event, to be held in the Pokkisenväylä area where Oulu was founded, will bring together the stories and future prospects of the region and European waterways. Marzi Nyman salva la tua musica. The artists include the Huutajat male choir, the Meta4 string quartet, and the Oulu All Star Big Band conducted by Jukka Eskola. Choir director Petri Sirviö is composing his own part for the Huutajat male choir.

Village events and unique nature enchant visitors

Sanginkonnu in the Sanginsuu, Lapinkangas, and Sanginjoki area is a unique route consisting of art stations, where art and experiences are combined with pure nature.

Numerous village events enrich the cultural life of the area, especially in the summer. The art festival Iin Uittoviikko (June 29–July 5) offers art, music, and food, environmental art workshops, logger and food traditions, and dance concerts. Haapavesi challenges its neighboring municipalities to compete in old-fashioned relay skiing, where participants dress in old clothes and ski on old skis. Haapavesi also hosts the World Championships in Air Kantele.

Kajaani is celebrating its 375th anniversary, so the city will be full of cultural events and art throughout the year. VILLIT – THE WILD ONES is an international immersive performance produced by Routa Company, in which participants embark on a journey into the work from different starting points. In addition, the Oulu2026 program includes music, performing arts, and events that bring people together, such as the Kekri Festival, Kajaani Poetry Week, and the 375th anniversary celebrations of the city of Kajaani.

The Aine Art Museum in Tornio, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year, is organizing a series of events called Everyone's Birthday to mark the occasion. Kemi and Tornio, together with Haparanda, are organizing the Vid samma hav – By the Same Sea event (June 5–7) in the ports and islands of the Gulf of Bothnia.

The Marakni festival of Romani culture will present current trends in Finnish and international Romani art to the audience of the Capital of Culture in June and August. Exhibitions in Pyhäjoki, Liminka, and Oulu will feature historical Roma lace, community artworks, comics, animations, metalwork, and art forging, as well as works by young Roma artists from different countries.

Faravidin maa is a work combining theater, dance, and circus, creating a semi-fictional, mythical past for Oulu and Northern Finland. The work is a co-production of Oulu Theater and Flow Production. The location will be revealed at a later date.

The Tomorrow's Guardaroba & Yuima Nakazato exhibitions at the Oulu Art Museum (May 22–October 11), curated by costume designer and artist professor Pasi Räbinä, highlight ecological materials and recycling in clothing design.

Autumn highlights the connection between art, science, and technology

Autumn and the end of the year offer the power of contrasts: the struggle between light and darkness, impressive combinations of art and technology, and northern mysticism.

The popular Lumo Light Festival is expanding into a ten-day Lumo Art & Tech Festival , which combines art and technology in a spectacular way from November 13 to 22. The festival will bring top international experts to the city and offer visual exhibitions, light art, sound art, and international encounters.

Underground Clash (working title) is an impressive media art work by Danish artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen, inspired by northern nature, located under the center of Oulu, in the Kivisydän parking garage. Ora hai un appuntamento con Lumo Art & Tech - festival.

Beyond the Sky is a unique attraction linked to technological innovation and innovation, while your potential for success is expanding. At the heart of the work is the life's work of Oulu-based astronomical nature photographer and visual artist Jukka-Pekka Metsävainio. Metsävainio's images merge with Lauri Porra's musical language. Premiere at Ouluhalli on November 19.

Aurora Revelare offers a whole new way to experience our internationally fascinating natural phenomenon, the Northern Lights. A spectacular visual experience in Tiima's Deep Space experience room and an interactive science center exhibition will reveal the secrets of the Northern Lights to visitors of all ages on October 9.

A grand musical brings Christmas spirit

The grand musical Lumipallo (Snowball), set in the enchanting land of the Northern Lights, will have its world premiere in Oulu in December 2026. This Christmas musical for the whole family weaves together northern legends. It creates an exciting story full of magic, mystery, and even romance. The leading roles in Lumipallo will be played by Kristo Salminen and Saara Aalto. The Oulu Symphony Orchestra will accompany the musical, conducted by Kristian Nyman. In addition, 22 musical performers will take to the stage.

The highlight of the year will be the Winter Classic ice hockey event produced by Oulun Kärpät on December 12.

Oulu is the European Capital of Culture. The year is being organized in collaboration with 39 northern municipalities. The main theme of the year is cultural climate change. Cultural climate change means a permanently richer cultural life. Cultural climate change means a desire to bring people together. It means a desire to bring fun and joy into our lives, but also to broaden our ways of thinking, understanding, and listening to each other.

The activities are guided by a nine-member board, chaired by Risto Ruohonen. The main financiers for the year are the City of Oulu and the Ministry of Education and Culture. Oulu2026's main partners are Pohjolan OP and Kaleva Media. The Finnish Cultural Foundation has financed the Sámi culture program, and Svenska kulturfonden has financed the Swedish-language program.