Experience Oulu2026 before the year is over!
There’s still time to join the celebrations of the European Capital of Culture! The final months are packed with unforgettable experiences you won’t want to miss!
Explore the wonders of the universe through music, discover folklore and immersive performance technology deep underground, indulge in culinary delights, and celebrate the grand opening of an extraordinary new museum and science centre.
Which experience will be the highlight of your Oulu2026 year?
Let imagination take the stage
Oulu Sinfonia: Beyond the Sky 19–21 November
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, Jukka-Pekka Metsävainio’s astrophotography intertwines with Lauri Porra’s evocative musical composition at Oulu hall.
Lumo Art & Tech 13-22 November
A ten-day international festival of art and technology, showcasing a variety of art and technology encounters at multiple venues, from light art and sound art to diverse forms of digital art.
Festival of Augmented Dance ke 25– 28 November
Oulu will become the main stage for international performing arts innovation in November 2026, when TaikaBox from Oulu organizes Finland’s first festival focusing on the dialogue between dance and technology.
Snowball Musical 4-19 December
The grand musical Snowball, set in the enchanting land of the North, will have its world premiere in Oulu in December 2026. This new musical for the whole family offers laughter, excitement and Christmas atmosphere, as well as a whole bunch of completely new Christmas songs!
Photo: Snowball Musical
Full of emotion
Björk: Ancestress, Sorrowful Soil & Björk Orkestral
Björk is bringing an exhibition to Oulu that combines sound, moving images, music, visual art and technology. The exhibition features three audiovisual installations. Fotografiska Tallinn’s popular PLAY exhibition continues at Pekuri and both exhibitions can be experienced with the same admission ticket starting November 13th.
Earworm– Media art from Kiasma
This exhibition presents video works in which music and sound are a significant part of their atmosphere and narrative. The works of moving images through sound spread throughout the space and make their experience multi-sensory.
Layers in the Peace Machine
The multi-part installation by Ekho Collective, located in Oulu City Hall, sheds light on different aspects of building peace. It offers opportunities to interact with the work and other experiencers: through movement, hearing, language and cognition.
Earworm and Layers in the Peace Machine are free-entry exhibitions at Oulu City Hall, make sure you book your entrance ticket in advance!
Björk, photo: Vidar Logi.
Extraordinary exhibitions
The Kuutar Garden 18th Sep – 30th Nov
A site-specific installation by Jakob Kudsk Steensen reimagines the Kivisydän car park beneath Oulu city centre as a virtual world of botanical afterlife. The Kuutar Garden transforms the Botanical Garden of the University of Oulu, its seed vault, and endangered plant narratives into a living virtual ecosystem.
Out of Time 30.10.2026–28.3.2027
An exhibition about a time when reality is an accumulation of parallel and overlapping events; a time when the order that defines our reality seems to be in transition.
Metallikausi (Metal Era) and opening of Tiima 9th October
This autumn, we dive into the dark and icy undercurrents of metal music. Metallikausi is a tribute to northern metal music. At the same time, we’re celebrating the opening of the new Tiima Museum and Science Centre!
Aurora Revelare -The dancing colours of the sky 9th October
Welcome to experience the magical spectacle of northern nature! Aurora Revelare takes you to the dance of colors of the Northern Lights, where science and stories meet.
Photo: Jakob Kudsk Steensen / the Kuutar Garden
Events
By pressing the image, the link opens to Oulu2026 event calendar
Don’t miss these events!
Oulu2026’s final months take sound and art from signals from space to street festivals and the darkness of winter, where music takes on new forms – without forgetting art experiences in the midst of stunning nature!
- The Logos– Mysterious signals in space called Fast Radio Bursts have been converted into audible sound and combined with a narrative composition so that the human ear can “hear space” in the Oulu Cathedral.
- Faravid’s Land, until 12th December– A performance weaving together theatre, contemporary circus, and contemporary dance, Faravid’s Land takes place in Oulu’s legendary Raksila supermarket area.
- TAR 11.-15.11. – New subactic Sound Festival TAR brings artists to resonant spaces around the city. Tickets available now!
- Lumo Light Festival 19-22 November, as part of Lumo Art & Tech Festival, this much loved event gathers thousands of visitors during the darkest month.
- Climate Clock – Series of public artworks in Oulu featuring world-renowned artists.
Plan your visit
How to reach Oulu from Helsinki and once there, how to reach the city center? See our tips and links for travellers!
Tilaa uutiskirje!
Tilaa uutiset ja tapahtumatärpit sähköpostiisi
Uutiskirjeessä kerromme tulevista tapahtumista sekä ihmisistä, jotka vievät pohjoista kulttuuri-ilmastonmuutosta eteenpäin. Saat meiltä postia muutaman kerran kuussa!
