Ecouterias are places where we recommend you stop and listen. You can visit an ecouteria often or occasionally, listening for a moment or linger a little longer.
Each Oulu 2026 municipality has its own ecouteria. The place is marked with a small blue ceramic tile featuring an image of an ear and the text: #ekouteria Oulu26.
The ecouterias are located in the urban areas of the municipalities. We were not looking for great natural sites in the municipalities, there are certainly those too. We wanted to find pleasant spots within or near the urban areas, in those everyday circles, where it is worth stopping to listen. Just in passing, in the same way that we stop for a cup of coffee in a cafeteria, when running errands or shopping.
Ekouteria always sounds different, but exactly how and in what way it differs can only be discovered by listening. Ecouteria captures the current weather, the season, the time of day and all the changing factors in our environment.
Over the summer, we toured all 40 municipalities of Oulu 2026, listening and searching for the perfect spot for an ecouteria. While we installing the plaque, we also recorded sound samples of each ecouteria. You can use these recordings also as a reference point in connection with your own visits.
They can all be found on YouTube with the search term @ekouteria (and the name of the municipality). Contact information and links will also appear in the Oulu 2026 event calendar and on our own website www.soniccommons.fi/ekouteria.
We marked the first ecouteria on June 8th in the center of Sievi and the last ecouteria on August 2nd in Pikisaari, Tornio. Searching for, listening and recording ecouteria has been one of the most amazing experiences in our career with hearing and listening. What can you learn and know by hearing and listening.
25/08/2026
Simo Alitalo & Tuike Alitalo
https://soniccommons.fi/ekouteria/
https://www.youtube.com/@Ekouteria
