Oulu August Festivals Celebrate Their 15th Edition

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.