fbpx

Wild City

Kuva Varjofestivaalista

Oulu is on the cusp. We could settle for being a tame municipal city on the fringe. Or we could go Wild. We choose Wild.

With Wild City we bring wildness into the city by celebrating the wilderness around it. Creating a new cultural approach with our unique northern vibe. Oulu as a cultural laboratory, going wild for Europe.

What exactly is a creative city in the middle of the wild nature? What is a lively, creative village? How do art, subcultures and creative spaces fill emptiness, silence and darkness?

BidBook (pages 22-35)

Programme lines

Each of the three programme themes include programme lines which enable us to group connected projects together to maximise synergy and impact.

Art Takeover!

Meet the buzz. Dancers, circus, poetry and artwork taking over the city. Art might surprise you as a spectacular event or when you walk into a grocery store. It tunes you into creativity at your workplace, makes you smile on a busy day.

Creative Villages

The Creative Villages programme line reshapes the city and its cultural climate by adding places for creativity in the urban space.

Stream to the future

True and sustainable cultural climate change begins with children and young people. Our schools and cultural services will collaborate to seek solutions to future challenges at the crossroads of art, science and technology.

Urban Boost

The Urban Boost programme line gives young people the opportunity to build the future on their own terms and to challenge out-dated practices.

Latest

Frozen People – electronic music festival 4th March

Frozen People – electronic music festival 4th March

Dance the frost away 4th March! Frozen People is a festival of electronic music as well as northern arts and wintry style. The unique event defies the weather conditions in winter on the sea ice. The festival will take place on the 4th of March 2023 at Nallikari beach...

Exhibition: Peace Machine Through the Eyes of Children

Exhibition: Peace Machine Through the Eyes of Children

Café - Restaurant Valve Paljetti Hallituskatu 7, Oulu 17th Feb 2023 (13:00) – 12th March 2023 (20:00) How do children envision the Peace Machine? How does it work? What does it do? In Spring 2022 Oulu Culture Foundation invited schools in the area to make their own...

Northern Lights

Northern Lights

Finland is one of the best places in the world for viewing Northern Lights (aurora borealis). The probability of catching them is highest in Lapland but Oulu is not far behind. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, we can see Northern Lights about 25% of...

Take part in a survey focusing on stories and places in Oulu

Take part in a survey focusing on stories and places in Oulu

What kind of postcard would you send from Oulu? What is the heart of your neighbourhood? Take part in a survey! We are looking for interesting, intriguing, or even forgotten stories and places to bring up through arts and culture. Share your stories by taking part in...

Nearly 300 projects submitted in the Oulu2026 Open Call

Nearly 300 projects submitted in the Oulu2026 Open Call

Oulu is a 2026 European Capital of Culture. The Oulu2026 cultural programme is mainly built through a series of Open Calls, the second of which closed on 9 December. In total, 274 applications from Finland and 20 other countries were received. Oulu and the entire...

Oulu: the world’s tar capital

Oulu: the world’s tar capital

Today Oulu is internationally renowned as a high tech city: a major centre of competence and innovation in information and health technology. Two hundred years ago Oulu had a very different reputation. It was known as the tar capital of the world. “Whenever people ask...

Health and wellbeing – naturally

Health and wellbeing – naturally

The Arctic Food Lab community keeps growing and has most recently been joined by the farm Linnunradan tila (Milky way's farm) from Tyrnävä. The farm specialises in growing hemp and raising alpacas. Among its Arctic Food Lab products are food products homemade in...

Final Open Call webinar 22nd Nov – Frequently Asked Questions

Final Open Call webinar 22nd Nov – Frequently Asked Questions

The last Open Call 2022 webinar focuses on Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Open Call process, the application system, funding, and activities related to the Capital of Culture. During the webinar, applicants are encouraged to ask questions from the Oulu2026...