Lumo Art & Tech Festival at the University of Oulu

Lumo Art & Tech Festival is one of the highlights of Oulu’s European Capital of Culture year. Building on the foundation of the Lumo Light Festival, the event expands into an international platform created through collaboration between artists, higher education institutions, cultural organisations, and technology companies. Festival events will take place at more than ten venues across the city, including new cultural spaces such as Tarkastamo and the VISIO experience space at the Oulu Museum and Science Centre Tiima. The programme also features seminars, discussions, and conferences.

The University of Oulu is a programme partner of the festival and contributes to its implementation together with the City of Oulu, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, the Oulu Museum and Science Centre, and other collaborators.

Explore the full Oulu2026 Lumo Art & Tech Festival programme here.

University of Oulu's programme at Lumo Art & Tech Festival

Kaitera Talks speaker series at Oulun Lyseon lukio

In 2026, the traditional Pentti Kaitera Seminar will be organized as a four-part Kaitera Talks speaker series, with all events open to the public. In the Kaitera Talks 2026 series, distinguished experts, including author and visual artist Rosa Liksom, world-renowned geneticist Aarno Palotie, Professor of Aquatic Ecology Timo Muotka, and the University of Oulu’s Vice Rector for Research and Professor of Wireless Communications Matti Latva-Aho, will each explore the question from their own perspective:"How can creativity, culture and research save humanity and our relationship with Planet Earth?" At the same time, they will shed light on current themes in science and research at the intersection of culture and technology.

Kaitera Talks: Matti Latva-aho - Will Oulu retain its lead at the turning point for wireless technology? (in Finnish) 16 November 2026 at 6 pm, Oulun Lyseon lukio

Kaitera Talks: Aarno Palotie – The Genes of Finland (in Finnish) 17 November 2026 at 6 pm, Oulun Lyseon lukio

Kaitera Talks: Rosa Liksom - How my views on sophistication and learnedness have changed (in Finnish)18 November 2026 at 6 pm, Oulun Lyseon lukio

Kaitera Talks: Timo Muotka - Kymmenen tuhannen virran maa (in Finnish) 19 November 2026 at 6 pm, Oulun Lyseon lukio

Brown Bag Seminar at Central Library Saari

The Brown Bag Seminar, held at Saari Central Library, explores the intersection of creativity and technology, and how technological development is creating new opportunities for creative thinking, innovation, and shaping the future. The seminar speakers, Assistant Professor Ella Peltonen, Fab Lab Director Jani Ylioja, and Professor Marianne Kinnula, will offer perspectives on the relationship between creativity and technology through the lens of their respective fields of expertise. Their presentations will address topics such as virtual and immersive environments, the creative opportunities enabled by digital fabrication, and the involvement of children and young people in the development of future technologies.

Brown Bag seminar: When technology meets creativity (in Finnish) 17 November 2026 at 6pm, Central Library Saari

LuovAIn! Roadshow Event on AI and Creativity at Tarkastamo

LuovAIn! – Artificial intelligence in the creative and cultural ecosystem project roadshow, which has traveled across Finland, concludes in Oulu as part of the Lumo Art & Tech Festival during the European Capital of Culture year.

The LuovAIn! Roadshow in Oulu: Humans and AI – Creating Together or Separately? event will explore how artificial intelligence is shaping the present and future of creative professionals. Where can new business opportunities be found in the age of AI? How can we work with AI ethically? Why is authentic media content still needed? Who decides what is good, beautiful, and art? And what place will there be for creative-sector actors in the future? The event features a comedy performance inspired by AI, an engaging panel discussion, and a community art workshop that utilizes artificial intelligence. Participants will have the opportunity to collaboratively create a real-time visual artwork with the help of AI.

LuovAIn! Roadshow in Oulu: Humans and Artificial Intelligence – Creative together or separately? 18 November 2026 at 12pm, Tarkastamo

Lights and Shadows: An Art Lightning Exhibition at the Linnanmaa campus

The Lights and Shadows: An Art Lighting Exhibition brings light art to the University of Oulu’s Linnanmaa Campus through handmade works created by students, staff, and alumni during a light art workshop in spring 2026. Exploring the interplay of joy, sorrow, adversity, light, and shadow, the laser-cut artworks transform the darkened F Corridor into an immersive light art experience. Each piece offers a personal perspective on the exhibition theme while contributing to a shared, community-driven whole. The exhibition is open to the public free of charge and is part of the University of Oulu’s Lumo Art & Tech Festival programme and the Lumo Light Festival regional programme.

Lights and Shadows: An Art Lighting Exhibition 4 November-31 December 2026, F Corridor (Linnanmaa Campus, University of Oulu)

Premiere of Open Early Education LASTU’s Animation at Tellus Stage

The Campus as a Stage Exhibition: Children's Animation Movie invites audiences to attend the premiere screening of an animation created by the children's groups of Open Early Education LASTU as part of the University of Oulu's Art & Tech Week. Based on a children's research project, the animation has been developed using the multi-stage methods of STEAM pedagogy, combining Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. The premiere offers audiences of all ages the opportunity to explore children's creativity and experience a story created through collaboration.

Campus as a Stage Exhibition: Children's Animation Movie 18 November 2026 at 9am, Tellus Stage (Linnanmaa Campus, University of Oulu)