Oulu Pride takes place on the first week of August. Oulu Pride and Oulu August Festival continue their festival friendship this year, both rooting for each other and equality. All the colors of the rainbow will shine on the Bright City of the North, when Oulu Pride celebrates diversity, equality, and inclusion.

Oulu Pride is an event for everyone. The event’s goal is to promote and increase the visibility of the rights of sexual and gender minorities. The theme of this year’s Oulu Pride is International LGBTQIA+ rights.

"Equal rights belong to everyone in the world, but there are still many countries where rainbow people face discrimination, hatred and injustice. There is still a lot of work to be done to improve things in Finland as well," says Martu Väisänen, the producer of Oulu Pride.

International rainbow rights can also be seen in Pride’s programme: there are international panel discussions and other content. Everyone is welcome to Pride, no matter where they are from.

Culture and art as a tool to better equality
In case it is hard to choose one’s favourites from the programme, Väisänen gives a few highlights:

"Cultural evening in Restaurant Tuba on Thursday 4 August is already a classic! This sympathetic and cozy event will certainly attract different people interested in culture. You can also try some of our other cultural contents, such as painting stones and tying flower wreaths, participate in a queer-spirited song and dance workshop, try shibari safely, or come and make rainbow beaded animals.” Most of Pride's programme also have free entry.

Even though the range of events is extensive, easily accessible and open to everyone, participating in Pride can still feel difficult in some way. Väisänen sends warm greetings to everyone who is considering whether to participate or not:

"Pride is for all of us who want a more equal city and environment. The more of us are marching and participating in other Pride events, the stronger our voice is for love and equality. We won't define you, you define yourself, and thus you are welcome to march with us – together we are more!

Oulu Pride on 1–7 August 2022. More info and the whole programme at Oulu Pride website here (in Finnish). Oulu Pride is also on Instagram.

Oulu August Festival arranges two kino concerts where Finnish silent films are screened with live accompaniment.

The first concert takes place on Friday, August 19 at 19:00 in Valvesali, Oulu. The film Meren kasvojen edessä (In front of the Face of the Sea) is a mystery story taking place in Finnish archipelago. Horror elements and eerie dream scenes create the film’s ominous atmosphere. It was the most watched film in Finland in 1926 when it was released.

The music is composed and performed by the composer and sound artist Joona Hiltunen, whose work with sound is characterized by electronic, haziness and sample music. He’s been inspired by the tormenting ignorance and aggression in the film, in addition to the chemistry between the characters.

The second concert on Saturday, 20 August at 18:00 takes the audience into very different atmosphere in Sykesali, Kiiminki. The film is a silent comedy Nummisuutarit (Heath Cobblers), which is based on the play by the same name by the Finnish national writer Aleksis Kivi. The film tells a story of village cobbler’s son Esko’s unfortunate wooing trip and how he swears never to marry.

The film is accompanied by the folk music duo Katri Haukilahti, violin, and Sampo Korva, harmonium from the folk music band Tallari. Tallari's mission is to make Finnish traditional music known, performing wherever there is a need for music.

Tickets
15 €, 12 € retired, 9 € unemployed, students, kids
Kaikukortti can be used in the concerts.

At Ticketmaster, a processing fee and an order fee are added to the price. No fees are added at the Cultural Centre Valve Ticket Office. Tickets can also be bought at the door one hour before the screenings. Tickets from the online store via this link.