The 2026 Air Guitar World Champion is Aapo ”The Angus” Rautio. The Angus won the title second time in a row in Oulu, Finland during an all-time great final. The Air Guitar World Championships are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year.
The contest took place on the Delta Life stage built over the water. The competition was part of the Delta Life festival weekend, a summer highlight of the European Capital of Culture year. The competition and the Delta Life show were watched by over 5,000 people on-site and tens of thousands worldwide via live stream.
Inspired by the 30-year milestone and the European Capital of Culture year, over 50 air guitarists from 13 countries are competing in Oulu. Remote viewing parties span from Nepal to Canada.
Results of the Saturday’s Final:
1. Aapo ”The Angus” Rautio, Finland, 34,8
2. Nanami ”Seven Seas” Nagura, Japan 34,4
3. Saladin ”Six String Sal” Thomas, USA 33,4
4. Kirill ”Guitarantula” Blumenkrants, France 33,4
5. Sam ”Airlo Guv’na” Nicoresti, United Kingdom 32,9
6. Apolline “Lady Attila” Andreys, France 32,2
7. Fausto ”Heavyer Dannair” Carraro, Brazil , 32,0
8. Howard ”Devil Narcissus” Lo, Taiwan, 31,9
The three-day Delta Life event concluded the month-long Oulu August Festivals and was held in Pokkisenpuisto park—the birthplace of Oulu—from August 27 to 29. Admission to the event was free.
Air guitar is played together for world peace. According to the competition’s ideology, wars would end, climate change would stop, and bad things would vanish if everyone in the world played the air guitar. The discipline also champions equality—literally anyone can pick up an air guitar at any time.
The Air Guitar World Championships are organized by the Oulu-based company Airnest Productions Ltd, which is owned by the Oulu Cultural Events Association.
Photo: Roosa-Maria Kauppila
The top four from the Air Guitar World Championships Dark Horses Qualifying made it to Friday's 1st final round.
Competitors who advanced from the qualifying round:
Dave “Iron Age” Chen, Taiwan 16,7
Toshio “Shariten KD” Kado, Japan 16,7
Frédéric ”French Kiss” Reau, France 17,0
Apolline “Lady Attila” Andreys, France, 17,2
The qualifying round was watched by 2500 people at Pokkisenpuisto park in Oulu. The event kicked off the Delta Life celebratory weekend, which is the summer highlight of the European Capital of Culture year.
Also competing in the Dark Horses Qualifying were:
Sven “Spandex” Smith, Great Britain
Minami “Yometen KD” Kado, Japan
Eero “One Last Comeback” Ojala, Finland
David “The Incredible D.FendAIR” Monreal, Germany
Cole “Slappy Nutz” Lindbergh, USA
Piers “The Joke’Air” Burnell, Great Britain
Michael “Airvant-God” Lovely, USA
Argo “String Theory” Thompson, USA
Zachary “Ichabod Fame” Knowles, Canada
Brittany “The Beast Georgia Lunch” Diaz, USA
Luke “Lucky Luke” Sevcik, USA
In the 1st final round on Friday, August 28th, the top four Dark Horses will face ten national air guitar champions and the 2025 World Champion, Aapo ”The Angus” Rautio from Oulu. The top 8 competitors from Friday will advance to the decisive 2nd final round on Saturday, August 29th.
Competition order for the first final round on August 28, 2026:
Dave “Iron Age” Chen, Taiwan
Toshio “Shariten KD” Kado, Japan
Frédéric ”French Kiss” Reau, France
Apolline “Lady Attila” Andreys, France
Léonard ”Lenny Pocket” Pollet, Belgium
Tyler ”Cat Friday” Gardner, Canada
Fausto ”Heavyer Dannair” Carraro, Brazil
Aapo ”The Angus” Rautio, reigning World Champion, Finland
Nanami ”Seven Seas” Nagura, Japan
Howard ”Devil Narcissus” Lo, Taiwan
Armin ”The Arminator” Van Schie, The Netherlands
Saladin ”Six String Sal” Thomas, USA
Patrick ”Ehrwolf Van Airhoven” Culek, Germany
Kirill ”Guitarantula” Blumenkrants, France
Sam ”Airlo Guv’na” Nicoresti, Great Britain
This year, the jury for the Dark Horses Qualifying consisted of: Jani Kortti: A long-time radio professional. Retired Air Guitar World Championships host/MC with over 20 years of experience. Daniel Morcillo: Luleå-based Project Manager for the Arctic Pulse project, connecting the northern music scenes of Sweden, Finland, and Norway. Mari Aholainen: Director of Cultural Centre Valve in Oulu, bassist. Marika Lamberg: Air Guitar World Championships producer from the time of the dinosaurs, a multi-talent in cultural work. José "Pepe" Van Halen: The mysterious, long-lost brother of Eddie and Alex Van Halen.
The 30th Air Guitar World Championships were opened by The Mastairclass's Air Guitar United show, featuring air guitarists from various countries—from New Zealand to Canada—who had been eliminated in previous rounds. The Mastairclass group, who directed the opening number, consists of French and Belgian air guitarists. The evening was hosted by air guitar legend Justin “Nordic Thunder” Howard and Asta Salomaa.
Photos from the Dark Horses Qualifying will be updated to the media folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J_qaYnVGEzNa_zQt69QsRvQiHOV6nJ-N?usp=sharing shortly after the end of the qualifying round. The photos may be used in the media when reporting on the Air Guitar World Championships; for other uses, permission must be requested. The photographer's name must be mentioned: ___ / Oulu August Festivals. Videos: Air Guitar World Championships.
The Air Guitar World Championships have been held in Oulu since 1996. This year marked the 30th time the World Championship of Air Guitar was contested in Oulu. The sport, which was initially perceived even as absurd, is nowadays an extremely popular global phenomenon that draws international air guitar stars to the North year after year to battle for supremacy in the sport.
Air guitar is played together for world peace. According to the ideology of the competition, wars will end, climate change will stop, and all bad things will disappear if all the people in the world play the air guitar. The sport also stands for equality – literally absolutely anyone can pick up an air guitar, at any time.
The air guitar evening was opened in the traditional manner with the declaration of air guitar peace, and at the end of all the beauty, everyone present got to try playing air guitar together to the tune of Rockin’ in the Free World.
The Air Guitar World Championships are organized by the Oulu-based Airnest Productions Ltd. and the event is part of the Oulu August Festivals.
Win a unique concert experience for you and a friend on Wed, 12 August. Macro Concert brings the artist closer than ever – like the macro lens of a camera. In this exceptionally intimate performance, singer-songwriter Jukka Takalo will perform for an audience of only around 20 people at a secret location in Oulu on Wed, 12 August, at 19:00.
Takalo is the artistic director and scriptwriter of Oulu August Festivals' Delta Life spectacle taking place at the end of August. The songs from Takalo’s Water Route Trilogy intertwine with the story and journey of Delta Life in many ways. The Macro Concert offers a deeper connection to the Delta Life spectacle.
The concert audience will be selected by lottery, and the surprise venue will only be revealed once attendees arrive at the designated meeting point. You can enter the draw until Wed, 5 August at 16:00 by commenting on the competition post on Facebookissa or Instagramissa, or by sending an email to laura(at)oulunjuhlaviikot.fi.
The winners of the draw will be notified of the concert venue personally on Thu, 6 August via Facebook or Instagram direct message, or by email.
Concert Host: Oulun Energia
For Oulu-born Maiju Murtola, the world of theatre became familiar at an early age when she got to watch her father work in the scenic workshop of the Oulu City Theatre. Later, she studied at the Department of Scenography at the then University of Art and Design Helsinki (now Aalto University), graduating with a Master of Arts. For the past twenty years or so, she has been involved in numerous art projects, including theatre plays and musicals.
Murtola is working as the scenographer for the Oulu August Festivals’ Delta Life show. What exactly is a scenographer? Scenographer is a general term for an audiovisual designer in theatre. Scenographers include set designers, costume designers, lighting designers, and sound designers. In Delta Life, Murtola’s role focuses on costume design and conceptualizing the visual look of the stage.
"I have never been part of a project where a stage structure of this scale has been designed for a location as exotic as on top of the water," Murtola states.
Due to the exceptional venue, Murtola also has various practical arrangements to consider.
"I'm thinking about how to practically transport all the clothes behind the stage to wait for the changes, so that the performers can access them easily and quickly."
Murtola explains that the vision for Delta Life stemmed from the imaginative and wide-ranging performance script by Artistic Director Jukka Takalo. Through her own work, Murtola's goal has been to shape the performance into something more viewer-friendly and clear.
Three distinct worlds have been identified within the performance, which, in Murtola’s words, will brought to life on stage through the interplay of the performers' costumes, lighting, video, and choreography.
"The first theme reflects what Oulu looked like in the late 19th or early 20th century. The second, more futuristic theme features glowing materials and a somewhat ritualistic aesthetic. The third, on the other hand, is all about unabashed rock 'n' roll attitude," Murtola describes.
Murtola hopes that Delta Life will convey a "make love, not war" spirit to the people of Oulu. Through her work, she wants to be able to offer a moment where people can pause together to experience something.
"There are all kinds of wanderers here, but we can still get along with one another."
Maiju Murtola
- Master of Arts (MA), Scenographer
- Extensive professional experience in set design, costume design, and some video design.
- Most recently worked as a guest scenographer for the play Moominland Midwinter (Taikatalvi) in Oulu, and prior to that, as the costume designer for the musical Kinky Boots.
- Member of the KOKIMO art collective, whose performance installation is on display at the Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) until August 23, 2026.
- Enjoys consuming all kinds of culture, spending time with the family's rescue dogs, hitting the gym with her sister, aqua jogging and catching up with friends, practicing "lazy yoga," and generally marveling at life.
Are you interested in exploring a new art form? Are you curious and open to new experiences? Would you like to listen to more classical music, but don’t know where or how to start? Join the Oulunsalo Soi Culture Rookies group!
In the Rookie group, you’ll get to know chamber music through a “cultural book club.” You’ll get to attend a concert with a friendly group and discuss the experience together in a relaxed atmosphere. Not only does participating as a group lower the barrier to entry, but it also helps you develop your cultural literacy! We’re looking for people from all kinds of backgrounds to join the group, and no prior experience with similar activities is required. The concert is free of charge for the group members.
The application period for Oulunsalo Soi Culture Rookies runs until Sunday, May 31. Read more and apply using the form: https://forms.gle/RL17u3AVVhtz1fFU6 (in Finnish).
The European Capital of Culture brings a unique and wide-ranging cultural offering to Northern Finland, with jazz playing a central role. The year 2026 marks 100 years since jazz symbolically arrived in Finland aboard the Andania ship and the story of Finnish jazz began.
The birth of Finnish jazz music will be celebrated in connection with the Elojazz festival in Oulu from July 30 to August 2, 2026. The Elojazz Village festival presents prominent international and Finnish artists and ensembles. The main concerts will be held at Tarkastamo, at Oulu Market Square. Performers include Grammy Award winner Nicholas Payton, the legendary Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Delfeayo Marsalis & Oulu All Star Big Band, and the Nordic Stew ensemble led by Timo Lassy and Jukka Eskola, featuring the legendary drummer Herlin Riley.
Leading names in Finnish jazz will also take the stage: the anniversary ensemble Suomi Jazz 100 Nyt, conducted by Mikko Innanen, showcases the evolution of Finnish jazz across different decades. Elojazz Artistic Director Aili Ikonen and her ensemble will be joined by actor Oona Airola, and the key Finnish jazz institution UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra will perform with French jazz singer Cyrille Aimée. The Oulu city center will transform into a joyful carnival atmosphere where rhythm music can be seen, heard, and felt everywhere.
“Over four days, audiences can enjoy events at eight different venues, both indoors and outdoors. The Elojazz Village programme consists of four ticketed events and ten entry-free events. The atmosphere ranges from intimate, small-scale performances to the exuberance of large jazz orchestras,” summarizes Elojazz Festival Director Kari Kuivamäki.
“This year, Oulu is rightfully at the centre of European cultural life. The Oulunsalo Soi festival programme systematically explores the many countries that make up our continent. As guides for this journey, I have invited a strong group of leading artists from both Finland and abroad,” says the festival’s Artistic Director, violist Atte Kilpeläinen.
Oulunsalo Soi Chamber Music Festival includes eight concerts and an art exhibition. Tickets for the 29th edition of the festival go on sale starting April 27.
This year’s visual artist is Oulu-based mural specialist Marianne Kauppila, whose works form the basis of the festival’s visual identity. Her exhibition Rock’n’roll lovestyle explores her relationship with music and how it has evolved over her life. The exhibition will be on display at the Oulunsalo Library from 6 August to 28 September. The opening will take place at the start of the festival on Wednesday, 5 August, featuring a performance by percussion talent Joonatan Lappalainen from Oulu.
The festival’s first two concerts celebrate ensemble music. At the opening concert at Karjasilta Church on Wednesday, 5 August, the festival’s international guest, the Grammy-winning Danish vocal ensemble Theatre of Voices, will demonstrate its versatility in both early and contemporary music. The concert will also feature Ravel’s string quartet performed by the industrious Meta4 string quartet. On Thursday, 6 August, Theatre of Voices and Meta4 will perform, among other works, their own version of Mozart’s Requiem at Oulu Cathedral.
Friday, 7 August begins with a lunch concert by students of the Oulu Conservatory at Theatre Restaurant Aulis. In the evening, the audience can expect laughter – and perhaps tears – when the popular theatre group Red Nose Company brings its new production Voces – Inner Voices to Valvesali. This staged concert for two clowns and the Meta4 string quartet combines beloved chamber music classics with theatrical storytelling. The performance is built around Jean Sibelius’s string quartet Voces Intimae, but also includes music ranging from Beethoven to Saariaho.
Festival weekend includes a rare piano quintet, poetry, neighborly love, and a prelude to the anniversary year
On Saturday, 8 August, the festival returns to the Akola Kuivuri venue in Ii, where violinists Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen will push the limits of virtuosity. Bacewicz’s violin quartet will take entertainment to the extreme. In the evening at Oulu City Hall, pianist Heini Kärkkäinen will perform Josef Suk’s rarely heard piano quintet together with Meta4. Before the concert, the festival’s visual artist Marianne Kauppila will discuss her artistic work.
The festival’s closing day, 9 August, begins with a concert at AaltoSiilo dedicated to our beloved neighboring country, Sweden. Featuring Vuokko Hovatta, the programme includes musical settings of poetry in both Finnish and Swedish. It also features original compositions by Atte Kilpeläinen, arranged for string quartet by Jussi Lampela. The closing concert returns to the festival’s roots in Oulunsalo. In summer 2027, Oulunsalo Soi will celebrate its 30th anniversary, and this year’s finale at the Oulunsalon Nuorisoseuran talo marks the starting point for planning the anniversary celebrations.
The festival is part of the Oulu2026 cultural program and its cultural climate initiative.
Dozens of artists will take to a stage built on water at the close of the Oulu August Festivals.
On the last weekend of August, Delta Life – together with its pre-parties and after-parties – will set the European Capital of Culture buzzing. The Delta Life weekend will feature a show bringing together around fifty artists from different disciplines, realised by at least twice as many professionals working behind the scenes in production roles.
The outdoor event 27–29 August that crowns the summer of 2026 and the Oulu August Festivals will include, alongside the Air Guitar World Championships, a 45-minute spectacular Delta Life show. In the show, music, movement and light art combine to create a carnivalesque yet deeply moving experience.
The show will be presented on three evenings from 8.45 pm to 10.45 pm on the Delta Stage. Admission is free, and the event will also be live-streamed worldwide. Pre-parties and after-parties will take place at dozens of venues across the city.
A show at the city’s birthplace
One of the most distinctive features of the event is the Delta Stage constructed on water in the Pokkisenväylä sea area, between Linnansaari and the Radisson Hotel.
By choosing such an unlikely performance arena, the organisers aim to challenge audiences’ perceptions of their home city and to highlight its cultural history. Oulu was born at a meeting point of waterways and people. Pokkitörmä already hosted a marketplace 500 years ago. At the mouth of Laanaoja lay the harbour of Hahtiperä, through which international influences arrived aboard sailing ships.
This unprecedented stage solution has required seabed surveys and a wide range of technical studies. Construction will take place throughout August and will require, among other specialists, professional divers. In this technically ambitious project, the stage itself forms a central part of the artistic concept and the overall experience. Along the shoreline, at the very edge of the city’s grid plan, nature creates its own opera house.
The stage, more than 40 metres wide, will rise to a height of approximately 25 metres. The massive structure is estimated to require up to 8 kilometres of steel piping.
“What’s amusing is that the ‘Holy Grail’ or ‘Sampo’ at the heart of the story – the highly abstract Grail of the Word and Poetry – becomes concretised as a 55-tonne giant stage floating on water,” says Jukka Takalo, Delta Life’s artistic director and the show’s lead writer.
A story that stops time
In the story of the Delta Life show, the Grail of the Word and Poetry – containing all knowledge – arrives along the Oulu river from Kainuu, eastern Finland. The Western Air Guitar Forces, led by famous Finnish guitarist Marzi Nyman, attempt to seize the treasure guarded by the Screaming Men’s Choir. A battle erupts between swords of words and invisible guitars. Awakened by the commotion, Ajatar is startled and stops time itself. Ajatar and the other spirits of nature help humanity turn away from fighting and towards a shared cause: the real problems facing our common planet.
“The show doesn’t emerge out of nothing. The scriptwriting process, which began in 2016, has examined the region’s history all the way back to the Ice Age,” Takalo explains, referring to the long-term concept development that has involved extensive networks.
“Things work better with a smile than with clenched teeth – even saving the world”, Takalo adds.
Audience reach
The audience target over the three days is 24,000 people on site, at least the same number at other venues across the city, and thousands more in remote viewing locations around the world. The event’s total media reach is estimated to extend to up to 2 billion people globally.
“Even in normal years, the international media reach of the Air Guitar World Championships is in the billions. This year, we expect even greater interest, driven both by the Championships’ 30th anniversary and Oulu’s status as European Capital of Culture,” estimates Anu Lähteenmäki, Executive Producer of Delta Life.
Programme schedule
Thursday 27 August 2026
Delta Stage:
20:45 Air Guitar World Championships – Dark Horses Qualifier
21:45 Pre-show
22:00 Open dress rehearsal: Delta Life show
Friday 28 August 2026
18:00–20:00 Pre-parties across the city (programme and venues to be confirmed)
Delta Stage:
20:45 Air Guitar World Championships – Final, Round 1
21:45 Pre-show
22:00 Delta Life show
22:45 After-parties across the city (programme and venues to be confirmed)
Saturday 29 August 2026
18.00–20.00 Pre-parties across the city (programme and venues to be confirmed)
Delta Stage:
20:45 Air Guitar World Championships – Final, Round 2
21:45 Pre-show
22:00 Delta Life show
22:45 After-parties across the city (programme and venues to be confirmed)
Production: Oulu August Festivals / Oulu Cultural Events Association
- Script & Artistic Direction: Jukka Takalo
- Executive Producer: Anu Lähteenmäki
Music Composition: Marzi Nyman
Choir Compositions: Petri Sirviö
Choreographic Direction: Mikko Makkonen
Musicians: Screaming Men’s Choir, Meta4 String Quartet, Oulu All Star Big Band, Jukka Eskola, Marzi Nyman
Dancers: Heli-Maria Latola (Ajatar), Maria Autio, Pinja Grönberg, Mia Jaatinen, Minna Kaaronen, Viktoria Radin, Alina Sakko
Dance Teacher Education students, Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk)
Circus Artists: Lumo Company
Air Guitarists led by Justin “Nordic Thunder” Howard
Stage Design, Lighting & Video Art: Sun Effects Oy
Lighting Design: Nadja Räikkä
Video Design: Janne Ahola
Scenography: Maiju Murtola
Project Manager: Taneli Kainulainen
Technical Stage Construction: Ramirent
Technical Sound Design: Antti Puumalainen
Streaming & Video Production: Saha Prod
Financial Support: Oulu Cultural Foundation, City of Oulu, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Teosto
Partners: Ramirent, Oamk, Tanssistudio Fokus
New partners interested in collaborating with the event are still warmly welcome.
Contact:
Pre- and after-parties: Producer Laura Siitonen, laura@oulunjuhlaviikot.fi | +358 41 313 534
Partnerships: Executive Director Pia Alatorvinen, pia@oulunjuhlaviikot.fi | +358 44 723 2676
The member festivals of Oulu August Festivals will create a truly European August of experiences in 2026 by being part of the European Capital of Culture programme. The summer culminates in the Delta Life grand finale weekend, which invites the whole world to pause the wheel of time at the birthplace of Oulu.
Oulu August Festivals in the European Capital of Culture year:
- Elojazz (30 July–1 August) brings a New Orleans–style jazz street to the city together with Oulu2026.
- Oulunsalo Soi Chamber Music Festival (5–9 August) resounds with Eurovision! High quality with a low threshold.
- Muusajuhlat Literature Festival (19–23 August) explores what it means to be European and how its conscious or unconscious influence shapes both Finnish and international literature.
- Oulu Arts' Night transforms into Oulu No Arts Day (20 August), which extends throughout the weekend as the Delta Art Days (21–23 August). The Oulu No Arts Day prompts reflection on what life would be without art, while the Delta Art Days present a cavalcade of creativity and tune the city for the following week’s Delta Life grand finale.
- Air Guitar World Championships are part of the Delta Life grand finale. On the Delta Stage, at the birthplace of the City of Oulu, the greatest air guitar show of all time will unfold. The first final round takes place on Friday, 28 August, and the second on Saturday, 29 August, when the world champion will be crowned.
- Oulu Music Video Festival (27–30 August) launches a new European music video competition. Entries for the international competition open at the end of 2025, and for the national competition at the beginning of 2026.
- Premiere on 27 August: Faravid’s Land, a new immersive work created by Flow Productions and Oulu Theatre.
- Delta Life Grand Finale (27–29 August) crowns Oulu August Festivals. As the sun sets on the Delta Stage, at the birthplace of Oulu, global influences meet the life of the Oulujoki River. A carnival-like yet deeply moving, all-encompassing cultural experience awaits – free of charge.
The Oulu August Festivals are being held for the 15th time this year. Awesome August begins with Elojazz on Thursday, July 31st, and ends with Choir Day at the City Hall on Friday, August 29th.
During the month-long multidisciplinary arts festival, highlights include the 20th anniversary of the Oulu All Star Big Band, heroic chamber music experiences, literary art from punk to opera, the first Nordic music video competition, and a variety of children's programs. Contestants from 15 countries will compete for the Air Guitar World Championship title.
Most of the hundreds of events in August are free of charge. Tickets are already running low for some events, and tickets for late-August events will go on sale in early August. The full program is available on the Oulu August Festivals website. There you can browse and filter events by calendar, art form, or event type. The events of Oulu Arts' Night are also shown on a map.
Elojazz – July 31–August 2
Elojazz opens with a performance by Iiro Rantala at Tuira Church. As in previous years, the main concerts will take place in the atmospheric open-air Hupisaari Open-Air Theater on Friday and Saturday. Pre- and after-parties will be held at Jumpru and the Amarillo nightclub. Artistic director Aili Ikonen has curated a program featuring top-tier international and Finnish jazz performances.
Oulunsalo Soi – August 6–10
The Oulunsalo Soi Festival offers chamber music concerts with a twist of other art forms in surprising venues. Artistic director Atte Kilpeläinen’s guiding principle is that these experiences can’t be had anywhere else but at Oulunsalo Soi. Performances will take place in unique locations such as the Kuivuri venue at Akola Manor in Ii and a boathouse in Hietasaari. The world of comics also enters chamber music, as this year’s visual artist Aapo Kukko illustrates a Shostakovich concert.
Oulu Muusajuhlat Literary Arts Festival – August 13–17
Literature and spoken word in various forms fill downtown Oulu, with events at venues like Cultural Centre Valve, Cafe Konstantina, the pop-up stage Klonka, Tähtitorni Café, and several libraries. Events will also take place in Ii, Kempele, Pyhäjoki, and Hailuoto. The festival features literary discussions, poetry, and cross-disciplinary art clubs from lunchtime to late night—primarily in Finnish, but with room for other languages as well.
Oulu Arts' Night – August 14
The first program announcements for Oulu Arts' Night have been released, with dozens of events already scheduled. More events can still be submitted for programming. Traditionally, the Arts' Night draws tens of thousands of people to the city center to enjoy the arts.
Air Guitar World Championships – August 20–22
This year marks the 28th edition of the Air Guitar World Championships, promoting world peace, with the final taking place on Friday, August 22nd from 8–10:30 p.m. at Rotuaari Square. National champions and challengers from around 15 countries will compete, beginning with the Dark Horses Qualifications on Thursday. The festivities kick off on Wednesday, August 20th with “Airientation Day,” open to all air guitar enthusiasts. The day includes the whimsical “Airlympics” and takes place at World Music School Air by the river delta. The championship garners global media coverage reaching up to 450 million people each year.
Oulu Music Video Festival – August 21–24
In addition to the traditional national music video competition, the Oulu Music Video Festival will feature a Nordic competition this year. The festival’s theme is “Hyperreality.” Music videos, films, music, and club events will take place at Cultural Centre Valve, Pikisaari, Snooker, and 45Special. The Saturday night Pumpeli Gala will be held at RioLive.
Flow Circus – August 26–29
As part of the Oulu August Festivals, Flow Productions presents the contemporary circus performance A Study of Losses. The Kompani Giraffe production blends circus, modern magic, and object manipulation with music composed by Zach Condon of the American band Beirut.
Extras
The Extras program gives the audience the opportunity to experience the city from the perspective of a wheelchair user. The Esteetöntä (“Accessible”) performance is created in collaboration with the audience and will be turned into a media artwork. Accessibility to the arts is a special focus in the content and production of the Oulu August Festivals. The association's Saavuta project is working to improve both physical and mental accessibility at cultural events.
Choir Day – August 29
This year, Choir Day wraps up Oulu August Festivals on Friday. The final Friday evening of the summer will be filled with singing in pubs and on the streets—especially at Oulu City Hall. The newly renovated city hall provides a stunning visual and acoustic setting for choirs and vocal ensembles.
Children’s Program – August 3–17
Families will find plenty of events during Awesome August for Kids, part of the festival from August 3–17. From Children’s Jazz to the 30th anniversary concert of Soiva Siili, there’s something for kids of all ages.
Most of the events during the Oulu August Festivals are free of charge. You can explore the full program on our website, which is continuously updated. Ticket information is also available on the site.
