The summer season is coming to an end, but the final months of Oulu2026 offer plenty of unforgettable experiences! The gazing at a star-filled universe through music, immersive performance technology underground, owl festival, culinary delights and the grand opening of an incredible new museum centre… See the must-see events for the rest of the year!
The European Capital of Culture enters its final stretch – discover our top picks for autumn! Leading names from the worlds of culture, entertainment and the arts will bring the celebratory year to a spectacular close. And that’s not all: in addition to these highlights, you can find more events from our Oulu2026 event calendar.
Faravid’s Land 26 August – 11 November
A performance weaving together theatre, contemporary circus, and contemporary dance, Faravid’s Land takes place in Oulu’s legendary Raksila supermarket area, which in its golden age surpassed even Helsinki’s Stockmann in grocery sales. Now the old Eka-market building has reached the end of its lifespan and is set to be demolished, making way for a long-awaited new source of joy and pride: an experience arena promising bliss and vitality for all of northern Finland.
Delta Life 27-29 August
The biggest summer event of the European Capital of Culture is the Delta Life Grand Finale, taking place August 27–29, 2026, in Oulu. The three-day carnival features the Air Guitar World Championships, Oulu Music Video Festival (OMVF) and the multidisciplinary Delta Life Show. The event is free of charge and will be livestreamed daily.
The artist lineup includes Marzi Nyman, the Meta4 string quartet, the Oulu All Star Big Band conducted by Jukka Eskola, the Screaming Men’s Choir (Mieskuoro Huutajat), circus artists from Lumo Company, and a group of over 10 dancers. The stage will also be taken over by numerous international air guitarists, led by Justin “Nordic Thunder” Howard, who was named the greatest air guitarist of all time.
The Kuutar Garden 18 September – 30th November
An immersive installation by Jakob Kudsk Steensen reimagines the Kivisydän car park beneath Oulu city centre as a virtual world of botanical afterlife. Beneath the city, the installation unfolds as a spatial environment shaped by more than four years of ecological fieldwork in Northern Finland. Visitors enter an immersive world inspired by one of the world’s northernmost botanical gardens.The underground space becomes a spectral garden where light, sound and movement guide the visitor through shifting plant-based environments.
Arctic Tasting 23.–26.9.
A delightful food event for food enthusiasts of all kinds! In Arctic Tasting, local restaurants and cafés compete against each other to create the most delicious tasting dish. The winner is voted by the customers. The event aims to highlight northern food culture and local ingredients of the Oulu2026 region, while also lowering the threshold for customers to try new restaurants. For the event, participating restaurants and cafés will create a special tasting dish. The winner will be selected based on customer ratings.
Cultural Kaleidoscopes – The Irish Festival of Oulu, 23-27 September
This colourful street festival brings together Irish and Finnish traditional music, folklore, storytelling, dance, street theatre, circus and large-scale visual performances. The free, family-friendly programme transforms the streets of central Oulu into an imaginative cultural landscape.
European Owl Festival 2–4th October, Liminka
The owl festival in Liminka brings together everyone who is passionate about owls – families, owl enthusiasts, ornithologists and photographers, and nature lovers. The European Owl Festival offers a wide range of activities, content, art, and workshops for everyone interested in owls and their habitat.
The main venue for the owl festival is the Liminganlahti Nature Center, which is located in one of the most significant bird wetlands in Europe. During the festival, side events will also be organized in the center of Liminka.
Metallikausi exhibition and opening of Tiima, 9th October
Towards the autumn, we will delve into the dark and cold undercurrent of metal music. The exhibition Metallikausi is a tribute to northern metal bands: from the north, amidst ice, darkness, loneliness and melancholy, emerged a globally recognised and acclaimed marginal phenomenon in the 1980s – one that continues to thrive today.
For those seeking to learn more about the Northern Lights, the interactive Aurora Revelare science exhibition narrates and teaches visitors about the birth of northern lights and their mechanisms. You can also try to ride a snowmobile simulator into wintery scenery and watch northern lights glow upon the skies!
The brand-new Tiima Museum and Science Centre will open to the public following the completion of its renovation and new-build project. The new Tiima brings together the Tietomaa Science Centre, the Oulu Museum, the Children’s Museum and the immersive experience space VISIO under one roof. Read more
Oulu Sinfonia: Beyond the Sky 19.–21.11.
Beyond the Sky brings the beauty and mystery of the cosmos closer, offering fresh perspectives on the universe and humanity’s connection to it. This immersive experience, illuminating the November darkness, fuses Jukka-Pekka Metsävainio’s astrophotography of distant nebulae with Lauri Porra’s evocative musical composition.
Unforgettable Exhibitions in the heart of Oulu
PLAY – Fotografiska Tallinn X Oulu2026, Pekuri Shopping Center
Exhibition PLAY challenges the idea that play belongs only to childhood. While digital play flourishes today, the exhibition turns to forms that are quietly fading: embodied, face-to-face, unscripted. Through the works of 17 international artists, it presents play as a powerful mindset that shapes how we engage with the world and connect with others. Read more & buy tickets
Earworm – Media art from Kiasma, City Hall
The exhibition presents a selection of video works in which music and sound are integral to the atmosphere and narrative. The video works spread out into the space through sound, making the experience multisensory. Read more & book a ticket
Layers in the Peace Machine, City Hall
An immersive and multidisciplinary media-installation by Ekho Collective, entangling technology and art. Based on the literary work ”Peace Machine” by late Timo Honkela, the installation portrays peace as a dynamic process, that shifts and evolves with the interactionfrom the participants. Read more & book a ticket
The City Hall exhibitions are free-entry, but please book your visit in advance from our Online Shop: only maximum of 15 visitors can enter City Hall every 20 minutes. One ticket grants you access to both exhibitions! Book your entry ticket today.
