Tourism Surges in Oulu as European Capital of Culture Year Drives Record Visitor Numbers and Major Exhibitions

The European Capital of Culture year has boosted tourism and cultural attendance in Oulu, with strong growth in overnight stays, record-breaking visitor numbers and major exhibitions attracting local and international audiences.

The year has started strongly in Oulu, Finland, with tourism and cultural attendance rising across sectors. In January–February, total overnight stays increased by more than 20%, while February alone saw a 32% increase, reaching 78,400 stays. International tourism grew by over 40%. At the same time, the opening festival in January attracted around 250,000 visits, highlighting strong interest among both residents and visitors and signalling a promising year for the city’s tourism sector.

“The start of the year has clearly shown the power of culture in strengthening tourism and regional vitality,” says Oulu2026 Programme Director Samu Forsblom. “With hundreds of cultural operators across all 39 municipalities involved, this is a unique year to visit our region in northern Finland.”

A year of major exhibitions across the city

Oulu’s exhibition programme extends beyond traditional museum spaces. Art appears in unexpected places such as a shopping centre, the city hall, a cathedral and in northern landscapes, inviting visitors to explore the city in new ways.

The photography exhibition PLAY, created by Fotografiska Tallinn, features nearly 200 works by 17 artists, including Martin Parr, Cristina de Middel and Christopher Herwig, and is on display throughout the year at Pekuri Shopping Centre.

At Oulu City Hall, Layers in the Peace Machine and Earworm – Media Art from Kiasma are open throughout the year. In May, Oulu Art Museum will present an exhibition by Yuima Nakazato alongside Tomorrow’s Wardrobe, showcasing 27 designers. At Oulu Cathedral, The Logos by Andrew Melchior transforms signals from space into sound and can be experienced until the end of the year.

In June, the Climate Clock art series opens, bringing artworks into forests, riversides and coastal environments, inviting visitors to experience world-class art in the heart of northern nature. Later in the year, the Lumo Art & Tech Festival expands across the city with light, sound and digital art in unexpected venues, while an immersive installation by Jakob Kudsk Steensen will transform an underground parking complex into an exhibition space inspired by fragile sub-arctic ecosystems.

The European Capital of Culture programme continues throughout the year with thousands of events across the Oulu region, reinforcing its role as a major cultural and travel destination in Northern Europe.

Record-breaking attendance across cultural institutions

Cultural institutions are reporting record-breaking attendance. Oulu Art Museum’s major exhibition of Sámi art and duodji became the museum’s most visited exhibition, with over 20,000 visitors. The main library, Saari, recorded over 23,000 visits during the opening festival week. Cultural venues and events have seen strong attendance in the early months of the year. Oulu2026 aims to reach 2.5 million visits to cultural events during 2026.

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