Oulu2026 event calendar has been published – University of Oulu prominently represented in the programme
Oulu is the European Capital of Culture in the year 2026. Related to this, on Thursday 4.9.2025 a long wait ended as the Oulu2026 programme and the event calendar were published. Included in the programme there are 520 culture projects and 3000 individual events that are organized in Oulu and 39 other municipalities.
The European Capital of Culture year also leaves a physical mark: for this year, 16 000 square meters of space for culture has been built or renewed. Included in this are for example the completely renewed central library Saari, that opens its doors in the beginning of 2026, and the new Museum and Science Centre Tiima, that will open in the autumn 2026. You can watch the recording of the programme launch event via Oulu2026 webpage.
University of Oulu participates in the Oulu2026 year
University of Oulu participates in the programme of the Capital of Culture year with about 120 individual events. The spear head for the university’s own 2026 culture programme is a year-long Campus as a Stage event series, the purpose of which is to showcase the broad cultural expertise of our university community and bring culture to the everyday life of our campuses and to the wider public. The series includes culture lunches, culture lectures, After Work events, various exhibitions and community art works, and art tours of the university's art collections.
In addition to continuous culture events, the university’s culture programme also includes several singular bigger and smaller events. For example, classic events such as Alumni Day, Researchers’ Night and Festival of Cultures will engage with the themes of the Capital of Culture year. There will also be interesting public lectures about, for example, influential women of Oulu and how creativity, culture and research are combined. On top of this, you have a possibility to embark on a musical journey to the world of energy, explore virtually the geology of Oulu2026 area, celebrate a student-lead Pride week, and much more.
You can familiarize yourself with the university’s whole 2026 culture programme easily here. Mark already down the most interesting events to your calendar!
Opening ceremony for the Capital of Culture year at the university
Oulu2026 Opening Festival will be held between 16.-18.1.2026 and during the next week, the beginning of the European Capital of Culture year will be celebrated also on the University of Oulu’s campuses. On the Kontinkangas campus, Campus as a Stage: 2026 European Capital of Culture opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday 20.1.2026, 10 am, and a similar opening ceremony will be held on the Linnanmaa campus on Thursday 22.1.2026, 10 am.
In both opening ceremonies we will hear opening words from the university’s rectors and get small tastes of what the year 2026 will bring forth. You can find more information about the opening ceremonies from the event announcements: Kontinkangas and Linnanmaa. You are warmly welcome to join!
You can get more information about the University of Oulu’s participation in the Oulu2026 year from the Creative Campus working group and the project manager: universityofoulu2026@oulu.fi.