An exceptional moment was experienced in Oulu at the turn of the year, as the Oulu2026: New Year’s Show brought the countdown to the European Capital of Culture year to audiences across Finland. Several thousand people gathered at the Oulu Hall to welcome the new year, while the television broadcast reached more than one million viewers on Yle TV1, Finland’s national public service television channel.
The event brought together music, performing arts, visual elements and northern ways of life in a way that highlighted the distinct character of Oulu and northern Finland as a whole. At the same time, it offered a preview of the kinds of experiences that will define the European Capital of Culture year 2026.
Oulu2026 Programme Director Samu Forsblom describes the moment as unique:
“It’s absolutely incredible that the event reached over a million viewers. From the outset, the idea was to give every Finn the opportunity to take part in the countdown to the European Capital of Culture year, and this clearly exceeded our expectations. The entire event team and the artists worked with outstanding professionalism. We people of Oulu are fully entitled to feel at least a little proud. This is a great way to continue towards a year filled with thousands of experiences.”
A year of thousands of events
The year has changed, but the focus is firmly on what lies ahead. Oulu and its 39 partner municipalities are celebrating the European Capital of Culture year 2026. The journey has now begun in a highly visible way, both nationally and across the world.
