Pegasus street spectacle drew an estimated 10,000 spectators to Oulu city centre during the two-day Cultural Kaleidoscopes at the Irish Festival of Oulu.
OULU, FINLAND, – The 19th Irish Festival of Oulu recorded an estimated 17,335 attendances during its five-day programme from September 23–27, as Irish traditional music, culture, and international street arts filled venues and public spaces across Oulu.
The Irish Festival of Oulu presented 76 events across 14 venues involving 137 artists as an official partner of Ireland’s EU Presidency Global Cultural Programme and Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture programme. The festival included five concerts, traditional music sessions, dance, storytelling, workshops, courses, and community events alongside the new two-day Cultural Kaleidoscopes Street festival that took place from 10:00 – 20:30 on Friday September 25th and Saturday September 26th.
2026 FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE:
- 5 days
- 76 events
- 137 artists
- 14 venues
- 17,335 attendances
- Approximately 10,000 spectators across two Pegasus performances
- Artists from Oulu, Finland, Ireland, the UK/Scotland, USA, Russia, Estonia, Sweden, Italy, France, and Germany
- Visitors from throughout Finland and known international visitors from Germany, the UK, Italy, France, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Ireland, and Scotland
- 18-tonne horse Pegasus multi-art performance
Pegasus in the city centre
One of the largest developments in the festival’s history was the premiere of Cultural Kaleidoscopes, a free two-day multi-arts street festival bringing Irish, Celtic, Finnish, and European music, dance, storytelling, circus, and street theatre into central Oulu.
Thousands gathered in the city centre on Friday and Saturday. Saturday’s rain did little to diminish the atmosphere, with audiences remaining throughout the afternoon and spectators dancing in the rain.
The main attraction was Pegasus by French street theatre company Planète Vapeur, appearing in Finland and the Nordic region for the first time. The performances were free and open to all.
The illuminated mechanical winged horse stands 11 metres high, 7 metres long and 3 metres wide, and weighs 18 tonnes. It formed the centrepiece of a spectacle performance featuring opera, live music, aerial acrobatics, fire performance, stilt walking and street theatre.
On Friday, spectators lined the full length of Kirkkokatu as Pegasus and its performers travelled towards Rotuaari before a finale in front of the illuminated Oulu City Hall. On Saturday, despite the rain, the audience grew substantially compared with Friday and filled the surrounding streets.
The two performances attracted an estimated combined audience of approximately 10,000 people. As the performances took place in an open city-centre environment without controlled entry points, exact figures were not possible. The estimate was reached through expert consultation using aerial drone footage, street-level video, photography of the performance area, and on-ground in-event estimations by event staff.
Public reaction was strongly positive. On social media, spectators described Cultural Kaleidoscopes and Pegasus as an exceptional experience for Oulu, with one audience member calling it “one of the best events of Oulu’s European Capital of Culture year” and another describing the atmosphere as something normally associated with major international events. Others thanked the artists and organisers, while spectators also called for Cultural Kaleidoscopes to become an annual event.
Irish music at the heart of the programme
Irish traditional music remained at the centre of the five-day festival. The festival finale brought Altan and An Chéad Ghlúin Eile to a full Oulu Cathedral, where both groups received standing ovations and encores.
Other concerts featured Gráinne Holland and Band performing Macha’s Race, Belfast band Tempest, Italian group The Shire and Oulu-based Yläsiirtola Ramblers and The Soap Pig.
Traditional music sessions brought musicians and listeners together throughout the festival, continuing the festival’s emphasis on Irish music as a living and participatory tradition.
“Culture belongs to everyone”
Festival Artistic Director and Cultural Kaleidoscopes curator Brent Cassidy said:
“Cultural Kaleidoscopes began with the belief that culture belongs to everyone. For two days we watched the centre of Oulu become a shared cultural space where children, adults, visitors, artists, and residents experienced music, dance, stories, and spectacle together.
“What stays with me most is seeing thousands of people lining up and down the length of Kirkkokatu for Pegasus, people dancing in the rain, full concerts and musicians playing together in sessions. The response from the public has been extraordinary and seeing people already asking for Cultural Kaleidoscopes to return shows how strongly they connected with the event. These are the moments that demonstrate what culture can do: bring people together and create memories that remain long after an event has finished. I don’t think the people of Oulu who attended the event will ever be able to walk down Kirkkokatu again without remembering the surreal, fairytale-like atmosphere that everyone who came to see Pegasus experienced together”.
In 2027, The Irish Festival of Oulu will celebrate its 20th anniversary festival. Further details will be announced in due course.
Survey: 96% of respondents likely to return
An online audience survey in October received 107 responses. Responses were voluntary and anonymous. Comments were selected from 29 open responses and translated from Finnish.
- 90.6% would recommend the event to a friend (5 or 6 on a 1–6 scale)
- 96.3% likely to attend again (4 or 5 on a 1–5 scale)
- 65.4% from Oulu, 21.5% from elsewhere in Finland, 13.1% from abroad
- Age groups: under 30 8%, 30–49 44%, 50–64 41%, 65+ 7%
- Pegasus the most mentioned highlight in open responses
Open comments in the survey
“Pegasus was enchanting, touching, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“This was one of the highlights of the entire Capital of Culture year. Oulu has had very little street art like this. I wish there were more…”
“It is the only festival outside of Ireland that feels like Ireland. What an achievement.”
“Pegasus was wonderful! Grandchildren aged 6 and 8 were spellbound.”
“Wonderful to see something like this in Oulu, just like being in some big city out in the world. Great that someone has the courage to do something truly different.”
“One of the most spectacular events of the European Capital of Culture year. Not everyone can travel the world to see spectacles like this, so warm thanks for bringing it here to Oulu for us to see! Hopefully this will continue at the Irish festival in the years to come.”
“Magical. Inspiring. The Pegasus performance brought imagination and hope to the city of Oulu.”
“Wonderful to have such an inclusive, all-ages street festival in Oulu, unlike anything we’ve seen here before. The children loved it too.”
“A wonderful, magical and uplifting experience, a ray of light in autumnal Oulu as the city awaits winter. Beautiful opera singing, magnificent artists. We’ve never seen anything like this here before. A powerful artistic experience that will stay with me.”
“An absolutely wonderful event. We had no idea it would be so spectacular and impressive.”
“I’m proud that Oulu hosted such a magnificent, world-class performance and event. We need more of this! Well done!”
“I didn’t know what to expect, having never seen a street show similar to this one. It was a mindblowing experience and I’d love to witness more of those now!!!”
“Wow, what an experience! Incredible artists. One of the most moving experiences of the Oulu2026 year.”
“A truly wonderful experience for both me and my teenage child. A magnificent cultural event.”
“Absolutely amazing experience. Magical.”
Lisätietoja:
The Irish Festival of Oulu
Medialle / Mediayhteydet:
Brent Cassidy
Taiteellinen johtaja/ Toiminnanjohtaja
+358 50 380 1908
Brent Cassidy is available for interviews in English and Finnish.
The Irish Festival of Oulu
Founded in Oulu in 2006, The Irish Festival of Oulu has developed from a local celebration of Irish traditional culture into an international cultural festival bringing together music, storytelling, dance, language, education, and cultural exchange. The 2026 festival was an official programme partner of Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture and part of Ireland’s EU Presidency Global Cultural Programme.
Cultural Kaleidoscopes
Cultural Kaleidoscopes is a free two-day street festival bringing Irish, Celtic, Finnish, and European music, dance, storytelling, circus, and street theatre into central Oulu. It premiered in 2026.
