University of Oulu bursts into the colors of the rainbow: Students’ Pride Week 16.-20.3.2026

Many higher education students are away during the OuluPride week in August due to their summer jobs or family visits. This sparked the idea to bring Pride Week in the middle of the spring term, so more students had the opportunity to participate in the Pride celebrations of the city they study in. With Students’ Pride we hope to bring more gender and sexual minority visibility on higher education campuses, create safe spaces and promote the messages of love, acceptance and freedom of self-expression. Internationality and accessibility are important to us, so the programme during the week is mainly free and a lot of the programne is organized in English!

Students’ Pride is held during University of Oulu’s equality week and is a part of the University’s Oulu2026 -programme. On the event week 16.-20.3., various programme items are organized from discussion events and workshops to hangouts, peer support groups and movie nights. Ooka ry and its partners bring events to the University of Oulu and the Oulu University of Applied Sciences campuses as well as to different locations in Oulu’s city center.

Programme

Full event descriptions and information about accessibility can be found on the Ooka ry's webpage.

Program running throughout the week

• 08:00–15:00 Homos café (Mon-Thu, 16.3-19.3) @ Humus café, Linnanmaa
• 17:00–20:00 Queer Screens Film Week (Mon–Fri, 16 Mar–20 Mar) @ Tellus Galaxy, Tellus Linnanmaa

Monday 16 March

09:45–11:20 Neurodivergence at Work seminar (Eng) @ Tellus Stage, Linnanmaa campus & Microsoft Teams

14:00–15:00 QueerMieli: Queer café (Fin & Eng) @ Café Olohuone, Linnanmaa campus

17:00–18:00 QueerMieli: Queer café (Fin & Eng) @ Tellus Stage, Kontinkangas campus

17:00–20:00 Queer Screens Film Week (Eng) @ Tellus Galaxy, Linnanmaa campus

18:00–19:30 Introduction to Shibari workshop (Fin & Eng) @ Kulttuuripaja Moodi, Teknologiantie 9, 90590 Oulu

18:00–19:30 SETA: Asexuals’ group (Fin) @ Tellus Horizon, Linnanmaa campus

18:00–20:00 Youth group (16–29 yrs) (Fin & Eng) @ Byström, Hallituskatu 5A

Tuesday 17 March

10:00–11:30 Rainbow seniors: Rainbow youth before and now – discussion event (Fin) @ Tellus Galaxy, Linnanmaa campus

14:00–15:00 Homos café: Pride-themed music quiz (Fin & Eng) @ Humus café, Linnanmaa

14:00–16:00 QueerMieli & AINO project: Multiple challenges, simple solutions? (Fin) @ Oamk, room 7B103, Linnanmaa campus

16:00–20:00 CRYO & Oulu SETA: Board game evening (Fin & Eng) @ Cafe Aspretto, Linnanmaa campus

17:00–20:00 Ooka ry sign workshop (Fin & Eng) @ Tellus Backstage, Linnanmaa campus

17:00–20:00 Queer Screens Film Week (Eng) @ Tellus Galaxy, Linnanmaa campus

Wednesday 18 March

10:00–14:00 Bystander training, Dr. Minna Lyons @ L2, Linnanmaa (Note: only the University of Oulu staff and students, pre-registration)

16:00–19:00 Queer zine workshop (Eng & Fin) @ Tellus Backstage, Linnanmaa campus

17:00–20:00 OYT: Fredrik Cygnaeus’ Salon open rehearsals (Fin) @ Cultural Centre Valve, 2nd floor, Hallituskatu 7, Oulu

17:00–20:00 Queer Screens Film Week (Eng) @ Tellus Galaxy, Linnanmaa campus

18:00–21:00 SETA: Poly meet-up (Fin) @ Oulu SETA office, Vino Vintti, Pakkahuoneenkatu 12 A, 90100 Oulu

Thursday – MAIN DAY – March 19th

KONTINKANGAS PROGRAMME:

• 10:00–12:00 The life and afterlives of Rosalind Franklin – a wronged heroine of science?, Heini Hakosalo (Eng) @ Leena Palotie Hall (101A), Kontinkangas

LINNANMAA: MAIN DAY FAIR (Green coat racks and Tellus Avenue, Linnanmaa, T2 entrance): 11:00–16:00

• Stands: 11:00–15:00
• Hangout area (Queer Staff Network & Ooka ry): 11:00–16:00
• Tellus Avenue board game / crafts area: 12:00–16:00

MAIN DAY PROGRAMME

• 11:00 Opening speech: Pia Niilonen (Ooka ry) and Satu Saarinen @ Green coatracks
• 11:00 Rainbow fair (stands) starts @ Green coatracks
• 11:45–12:15 Speed Friending @ Green coatracks
• 13:15–13:30 Parade info @ Green coatracks
• 13:45–14:15 Parade @ 2T door
• 15:00 Rainbow fair ends
• 15.00-15.30 Sonja Huhtaniska: Poems from the book Tragikoomisesti Teidän (Finnish) @ Tellus Avenue
• 16:00 Event ends

MAIN DAY EVENING PROGRAMME

• 15:00–18:00 TaPiiri weekly art circle: origami (Eng & Fin) @ Cafe Aspretto
• 17:00–20:00 Queer Screens Film Week (Eng) @ Tellus Galaxy, Linnanmaa campus
• 18:00–20:00 SETA: Arts and crafts group (Eng & Fin) @ Oulu SETA office, Vino Vintti, Pakkahuoneenkatu 12 A, 90100 Oulu
• 18:00–20:00 SETA: Men’s group (Fin) @ Tellus Horizon, Linnanmaa campus
• 22:00–01:30 Students’ Pride Oulu afterparty (Eng & Fin) @ Teerenpeli
  

Friday 20 March

• 14.00-18.00 Clubroom open (Fin & Eng) @ HK208 Linnanmaa campus

• 17:00–20:00 Queer Screens Film Week @ Tellus Galaxy, Linnanmaa campus

This event week is part of the University of Oulu's 2026 culture programme as well as part of the university's equality week.