Join the celebrations as the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture year begins!
The University of Oulu will mark the beginning of the Capital of Culture year with opening ceremonies held both on the Kontinkangas and Linnanmaa campuses. The opening ceremony will take place on the Kontinkangas campus on Tuesday 20th of January starting at 10:00 am, and on the Linnanmaa campus on Thursday 22nd of January starting at 10:00 am.
Opening ceremonies offer a glimpse into the university’s 2026 culture programme
Both opening ceremonies include a daytime event where we will hear opening words from the university’s rectors and enjoy culture experiences created by, for example, Cassiopeia, University of Oulu Chamber Orchestra and the Student Theatre of Oulu. On the Linnanmaa campus, there will also be a panel discussion about the topic “What is culture?” as a part of the opening ceremony. The panel discussion will be held bilingually (Finnish/English) and you can also follow it remotely via the university’s Youtube channel.
On both campuses, the opening ceremonies’ activities continue all the way until evening, when starting at 5 pm the very first After work events will take place. Later on After work events will take place throughout the 2026 on every months’ last Wednesday with a few exceptions. In the After work event on the Kontinkangas campus, you will get to orientate yourself with Pegasus Library’s “Off to North!” movie week and on the Linnanmaa campus the night will be rocked away with the Professor band and Teekkaritorvet.
The opening ceremonies are open for everyone, and we warmly welcome students, staff members and all people interested in culture to join them. Welcome!
Oulu2026 Opening Festival in Oulu city centre, 16–18 January
The weekend before the university campus events, the Oulu city centre will be buzzing with various activities as the Oulu2026 Opening Festival takes place from 16th to 18th of January. With nearly 200 events spread over 20 venues in the Oulu city centre, the inaugural festival will have something for every taste. Most of the programme is free of charge and open to all.
The three‑day Opening Festival kicks off with the “On your marks, get set, Oulu!” opening moment on Friday 16th of January from 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm at Oulu Market Square. The President Aleksander Stubb will officially open Oulu’s Capital of Culture year at 4:00 pm. In addition, the Oulu Peace proclamation will be delivered by Mika Akkonen who is a traditional proclaimer of Turku’s Christmas Peace declaration.
The opening moment will be streamed and can be followed on the Oulu2026 website as well as on the screens at Valkea and Rotuaari. Explore the programme and join in!