The piece will be composed for string quartet, electric guitar, big band and male choir.

Marzi Nyman will compose the music for the culminating event of the Delta Life project, part of Oulu August Festivals 2026.

“Multi-talented Marzi Nyman is capable of weaving together jazz, a lyrical national romantic musical language, and the carnival spirit that embodies the universal love of air guitar,” says Delta Life’s Artistic Director Jukka Takalo about the choice of composer.

The Delta Life Celebration Weekend on 28–29 August 2026 is one of the highlights of the European Capital of Culture year. The event stage will be built on water, at Oulu’s place of origin, in an amphitheatre-like natural setting—nature’s own opera house. Entry will be free for the audience.

The European Capital of Culture aims to inspire the creation of new ideas. The Delta Life stage production is a local fusion of influences ranging from the hills of Kainuu to jazz and international flavours. At the heart of the experience lies the music, performed by an exceptional lineup of artists including Mieskuoro Huutajat (Screaming Men's Choir), the string quartet Meta4, and the Oulu All Star Big Band led by Jukka Eskola. Choir conductor Petri Sirviö will compose a dedicated section for Mieskuoro Huutajat.

In the weekend’s show, Marzi Nyman’s role will be to lead the air guitar forces of the Western world in an attempt to seize the source of all knowledge—the modern-day Sampo and Holy Grail: the Cup of Word and Poetry.

The commissioned composition is part of the long-term Delta Life project by the Oulu August Festivals, culminating at the end of August 2026. Delta Life is united by water routes and their impact on human life—past, present and future. The concept emphasises encounters, innovation, and making art visible.

Since 2021, Delta Life art and events have taken place along waterways. In 2026, this artistic substance will be showcased during Oulu August Festivals and the Delta Life Celebration Weekend. The multidisciplinary and cross-artform Delta Life is produced in collaboration with numerous partners, ranging from local village communities to European metropolises.

Teosto has granted support for the composition. The extensive Delta Life programme within Oulu August Festivals has been funded by the Oulu Cultural Foundation, the Ministry of Education and Culture (OKM), the North Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre), the Regional Council of North Ostrobothnia, as well as municipalities and businesses in the region.

The Delta Life project, highlighted in the main programme of the Oulu European Capital of Culture year, will culminate in a celebratory weekend on August 28–29, 2026. One of the largest public events in 2026 showcases a multidisciplinary, free of charge outdoor spectacle at Oulu's birthplace at the end of Oulu August Festivals.

"Pokkisenväylä is an overlooked urban space at Oulu's birthplace, a historical riverbed shaped by land uplift, right in the heart of historic Oulu. The natural amphitheater between the Tähtitorni Café and the Radisson Blu hotel can host up to 10,000 spectators," explains Jukka Takalo, the artistic director of Delta Life.

The grand finale is envisioned as a carnival for everyone, where the wheel of time slows down, and the world is saved through joy and cooperation. Mythical spirits inspire participants to slow down time together, blending Finnish cultural heritage with European classical elements – earth, water, air, and fire – giving rise to something new.

"A multimedia show on a floating stage on water connects audiences globally through a uniquely Oulu tradition: air guitar playing. From the Great Wall of China to the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids, and the Statue of Liberty, people worldwide will play air guitar together for world peace," Takalo elaborates.

Before this celebratory weekend, Delta Life will explore the life and future of waterways through various cultural events. Collaborating with Oulu August Festivals and numerous partners, Delta Life fosters regional and international artistic dialogue.

Oulu was chosen as the European Capital of Culture on June 2, 2021, and Delta Life's first event, Journey to Maakinen Martinniemi, took place the following week on the Kiiminki River. Since then, events of various scales have been organized along the Iijoki, Kiiminkjoki, and Oulujoki rivers, from the delta to the headwaters. Delta Life has even visited Kaunas, Lithuania, another European Capital of Culture, in May 2022.

This year, Delta Life will feature young artists, highlight regional culture and its creators through the Northern Cultural Stream channel, and advance accessibility in cultural events.

Upcoming events will be listed on the Delta Life event calendar.

For event highlights, personal interviews, and cultural content, follow the Northern Cultural Stream channel.

More information is available at www.deltalife.fi

Six young artists have been selected for the documentary series "Artists Arise in the Delta" for the years 2024-2026. As part of Oulu August Festivals’ Delta Life project, the series follows the artists' journey towards Oulu 2026 European Capital of Culture year. The documentary series features Ida Remsu, Marianne Kauppila, and Duo Emilia and Joonatan from Oulu, Niilo Korsulainen, originally from Oulu but studying in Helsinki, and Mandi Koskela from Ranua. The age range of the artists is 14–28 years.

Ida Remsu, a dancer and dance teacher student studying at the Oulu University of Applied Sciences, describes her participation in the series as follows: "It's interesting to see what kind of traces I, as an artist, will leave during this project, and which ones will be washed away with the waves. However, on this shoreline, I intend to dance and, like the waves, create a momentary joy for those watching."

Representing dance art is also Mandi Koskela, a pole dancer from Ranua, who is a two-time world champion in the Pole Sport junior A category. "It's so great to be involved in such a project! I'm looking forward to all the new and wonderful things!"

Musical siblings Joonatan and Emilia Lappalainen are featured in the documentary series as a duo. Joonatan studies classical percussions and drum set at the Oulu Conservatory, while Emilia studies violin and singing at the Oulu Conservatory and in the youth education program at the Sibelius Academy. "It will be interesting to look back and see what has been done, and also to give other people the opportunity to see what the life of a young aspiring artist is like," says Emilia Lappalainen.

Niilo Korsulainen, a composer of art music, is currently studying music theory at the Sibelius Academy. "At best, melodies are like a gateway to another world for me, somewhere I usually only reach in dreams, or to those magical, somehow unreal moments that can be experienced, for example, on a summer night in the midst of nature," Korsulainen describes his relationship with art music.

According to visual artist Marianne Kauppila, who specializes in mural art, murals have the power to unite communities and visually enhance urban spaces. "I am fascinated by the idea of how huge works of art transform spaces, tell stories, and reflect the spirit of the times, and at best, depict the values and life of their location, whether it's a public urban space, office space, or private hangout."

The artists' journey is followed on the social media channels and the website of the Northern Cultural Stream. The entire project will be condensed into a series of short documentaries, which will be released in the summer of 2026.  The project will culminate in the artists’ performances or exhibitions in the Oulujoki River Delta area during Oulu August Festivals in 2026.