Jazz and carnival atmosphere at Elojazz Village
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.
