The Ärjän Art Festival, which will be held for the sixth time, will feature international and domestic art, from theater and dance to music and contemporary art. This year’s theme of the festival is “Light and Resistance”.
LIGHT AND RESISTANCE Ecological themes and performing arts on Ärjänsaari in Oulujärvi 24-26.7.2026
The Ärjän Art Festival, which will be held for the sixth time, will feature international and domestic art, from theater and dance to music and contemporary art. This year’s theme of the festival is “Light and Resistance”. The entire program will take place outdoors in the magnificent nature of Ärjänsaari.
The Earth forces will set up a temporary base on the terrain of Ärjänsaari and offer participatory ecosomatic National Defense exercises. A site-specific performance created on the island to raise the will to defend the country will also be experienced there.
The reading drama Katkos, kudos written by Sara Koiranen invites the audience to transcend time and bridge the gaps between generations. The eco-crisis is here today, but where did it all start and where are we headed?
Rebel bodies II is an experimental hybrid of audiovisual work and live performance by KM Taavitsainen, Taylor Knight and Anna Thompson, in which the working group explores queer ecological imagination, alternative somatic futures and the possibility of utilizing kinesthetic resonance to activate interspecies and environmental empathy.
The music at the festival is provided by Duo Saa Tanssia, i.e. master player Pentti Ojajärvi together with troubadour Leila Luukkainen, and Järvi, featuring Miio Holopainen and Juska Ojajärvi.
Seikka the troll’s singing forest adventure and other enjoyable participatory programs will be organized for children and the whole family. In the Crafty Grannie´s workshop, you can, among other things, get acquainted with the secrets of patchwork in the spirit of the craft technology of 2026. Routa will bring a piece of Sari Palmgren’s MeTässä to the festival. Mathilda Muk will be the dancer in the work. The Vaara collective’s Oulujärvi Steamship Theatre will sail to Ärjä for the last performance of its carnival-like summer tour. In addition, there will be discussions on the island led by Omavaroopisto and Miina Kaartinen.
The Ärjä Art Festival is a traveling and litter-free contemporary art event, which will be held under the conditions of the Ärjänsaari nature reserve and entirely outdoors. The future of the earth is at the heart of the festival. Art and the festival’s practices are intertwined around ecological themes. The 2026 festival is part of the Oulu2026 Capital of Culture year. Living boldly on the edge and combining art and nature are the main themes of Oulu2026. You are guaranteed to be surrounded by these themes at the Ärjä Art Festival, among others.
The Ärjä Art Festival, which revolves around ecological themes and performing arts, is organized every other year on Ärjänsaari in Oulujärvi. The event aims to find fresh communal forms to face the changes that are testing our planet.
More info:
Sara Saxholm / The Producer
tel. +358414598940
arjanfestivaali@gmail.com
www.arjanfestivaali.fi
