The year 2026 marks 100 years since jazz symbolically arrived in Finland aboard the Andania ship and the story of Finnish jazz began.
The European Capital of Culture brings a unique and wide-ranging cultural offering to Northern Finland, with jazz playing a central role.
“UNESCO has recognized jazz music as a promoter of peace and dialogue. It has the power to bring people and cultures closer to one another. Jazz therefore carries an important message that is highly relevant to our time. It is wonderful to have such a wide-ranging program as part of the European Capital of Culture year,” says Samu Forsblom, Program Director of Oulu2026.
Jazz and carnival atmosphere at Elojazz Village
The birth of Finnish jazz music will be celebrated in connection with the Elojazz festival in Oulu from July 30 to August 2, 2026. The Elojazz Village festival presents prominent international and Finnish artists and ensembles. The main concerts will be held at Tarkastamo, at Oulu Market Square. Performers include Grammy Award winner Nicholas Payton, the legendary Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Delfeayo Marsalis & Oulu All Star Big Band, and the Nordic Stew ensemble led by Timo Lassy and Jukka Eskola, featuring the legendary drummer Herlin Riley. Leading names in Finnish jazz will also take the stage: the anniversary ensemble Suomi Jazz 100 Nyt, conducted by Mikko Innanen, showcases the evolution of Finnish jazz across different decades. Elojazz Artistic Director Aili Ikonen and her ensemble will be joined by actor Oona Airola, and the key Finnish jazz institution UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra will perform with French jazz singer Cyrille Aimée as soloist. The Oulu city center will transform into a joyful carnival atmosphere where rhythm music can be seen, heard, and felt everywhere.
“Over four days, audiences can enjoy events at eight different venues, both indoors and outdoors. The Elojazz Village program consists of four ticketed events and ten entry-free events. The atmosphere ranges from intimate, small-scale performances to the exuberance of large jazz orchestras,” summarizes Elojazz Festival Director Kari Kuivamäki.
A world-class jazz finale in December
Raahen Rantajatsit invites audiences to Raahe from July 23 to 25, 2026. The festival is an intimate arena for Finnish and European contemporary jazz. The program also includes free concerts as well as workshops and opportunities for interaction between artists and audiences.
Oulu Sinfonia and Oulu All Star Big Band will celebrate the jazz year with Wynton Marsalis Third Symphony on November 11. The Swing Symphony, to be heard in Finland for the first time, takes listeners on a road trip across the United States, passing through New York, St. Louis, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. The evening continues with the “Swing for Singles” concert club at Restaurant Preludi starting at 9 p.m. The Singles’ Day club will feature Kenneth Sjöwall’s Dixie Dudes.
Oulu Music Festival offers concert series and individual music events throughout the year. The Jazz & Etno concert series presents jazz and folk music stars from Finland and abroad in the spring and autumn.
The jazz year in Oulu culminates in December with a concert by one of the leading names in jazz, Wynton Marsalis. The trumpeter, who has received nine Grammy Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Music, will perform with the 15-member Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on December 2 at the Oulu Music Centre. Marsalis is an exceptional trumpeter and composer whose achievements extend beyond the boundaries of jazz and classical music. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, founded by him, is widely regarded as the world’s finest jazz orchestra.
See all the upcoming jazz events: Oulu2026 X Jazz in Finland 100
For more information:
Oulu2026: Samu Forsblom, +358 44 703 7558, samu.forsblom@oulu2026.eu
Elojazz: Kari Kuivamäki, +358 40 508 0302, kari.kuivamaki@elojazz.com
www.elojazz.com
