Oulu2026
Kuhmo is part of the European Capital of Culture year!
Oulu, together with 38 municipalities and cities in Northern Finland, is the European Capital of Culture 2026 under the theme Cultural Climate Change. Kuhmo is also part of this cultural climate change!
Kuhmo’s Oulu2026 programme
Sat 24 January – Opening of Kuhmo’s 40th anniversary year and Kuhmo Oulu2026
1:00 pm, Kuhmo Arts Centre
The celebration, which is open to the public, includes speeches, music and dance performances, the presentation of medals of merit, film clips of Kuhmo from the 1950s and a presentation of events taking place during the anniversary year. The programme concludes with coffee and cake at approximately 2:30 pm.
The keynote speaker is Anna Hyvönen. Festive attire. Free admission!
Fri 20 February – Tervan tie – onko meillä suunnitelma?
6:00 pm, Kuhmo Arts Centre
A travelling performance about a changing world. The production is part of the official Oulu2026 programme and the regional theatre’s touring programme.
Have you ever wondered what happened along the ancient tar route from Kuhmo to Oulu 150 years ago? In this travelling performance, an ageing environmental activist and a phone-addicted teenage moped rider end up embarking on an adventure-filled journey together. The unlikely pair travel along the tar routes of their ancestors while reaching towards the future. Humour arises as they try to make the world a better place for future generations.
Tickets: €15 / €7 (under 16s, cloakroom included), available from Kuhmo Arts Centre or Lippu.fi.
Sat 21 February – Peurahiihto Ski Event
Mass start and the Kalevala Women’s traditional departure song at 9:00 am, Kalevala Ski Centre (Tönölä), Väinämöinen 4
Routes:
- Hepokangas route, 22 km
- Unskin ura, 12 km
- Pikku Peura – Harakkasaari route, approx. 5 km
Both freestyle and classic skiing are possible. No advance registration is required!
Campfires and warm juice await skiers at Harakkasaari, Unskin ura and Hepokangas. You can also bring your own snacks. The City of Kuhmo first organised the event in 1979.
A local craftsman will showcase handmade wooden skis at the event. Further details will be announced soon. All participants will receive a special anniversary-year Peurahiihto diploma!
Sat 21 February – Kuhmo Winter Evening Concert
6:00 pm, Kuhmo Arts Centre
A unique concert experience!
Performers:
- Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen, violin
- Maari Kallberg, runo singing
- Kantele Duo Heilakko
- Mari Mäntylä, decacorde
The concert is jointly produced by Sommelo Ethno Music Festival, Kuhmo Chamber Music, the City of Kuhmo, Kuhmo Arts Centre and the Runo Song Academy.
Tickets: €25 / €15, available from Kuhmo Arts Centre or Lippu.fi.
Mon 1 June – Sat 25 July – Experience Kuhmo’s summer events with a Culture Companion
Would you like to attend a summer event, concert or exhibition in Kuhmo? A Kuhmo Culture Companion 2026 can accompany you.
Fri 12 June – Fri 2 October – Alpo and Nina Sailo: Runo Singers
Juminkeko, Kontionkatu 25
“Lönnrot collected the poems – but forgot the old men.”
Sculptor Alpo Sailo made it his life’s work to immortalise traditional runo singers. Juminkeko’s summer exhibition pays tribute both to the runo singers and to the Sailos’ life’s work.
Sat 13 June – Open Villages Day Bus Tour
The City of Kuhmo organises a free bus tour to three villages: Ylä-Vieksi, Niva and Lentiira.
Departure from Kuhmo town centre at 8:15 am and return at approximately 3:30 pm.
Further information and registration are available on Visit Kuhmo or directly from Janne Ylijoki, tel. 044 725 5280, janne.ylijoki@kuhmo.fi.
Tue 16 June – Runolle ruvetaan ja haitari soi – Poetry Evening at Vesantalo
A touring performance creating a theatrical dialogue between poetry and music. Actor and reciter Matti Ristinen performs poetry, while accordionist Reijo Kumpulainen from Enontekiö performs music he has composed.
Tue 23 June – More Living Space for Brown Trout – Stream Restoration
The event begins at Kuhmo Library at 9:00 am. Lectures take place from 9:00 to 11:00 am, followed by lunch from 11:00 am to noon. There will also be additional activities at the library.
A children’s fishing site near the library will open at noon, with activities continuing until 2:00 pm. After noon, participants can travel to Rauhionpuro for a stream restoration demonstration. Participants must arrange their own transport to the stream.
Wed 24 June – Kalevalan kutsu Singing Workshop
12 noon, Juminkeko, Kontionkatu 25
Welcome to experience traditional runo singing, learn about the Kalevala and discuss cultural heritage. You are also welcome to join in the singing.
The workshop is led by contemporary runo singers Ilona Korhonen and Maari Kallberg.
Organised by Juminkeko and Sommelo.
Late June / early July – Traditional Games Day
Sat 4 July – Rönttönen Crimping World Championships and Celebration of Kuhmo Food
Kuhmo Market Square, Kide Stage, Torikatu 22
The Rönttönen Crimping World Championships bring together Kainuu’s culinary traditions, community spirit and light-hearted competition.
The event begins at 11:00 am with a performance by Kuhmo’s Summer Musicians.
Sun 12 July – Sat 18 July – Tervatärppi
Vesantalo
Tervatärppi takes participants into the wilderness to discover new flavours and share stories about tar. Alongside the tar-making traditions and knowledge of the past, the event explores what tar culture means in 2026.
Sun 12 July – Sat 25 July – Kuhmo Chamber Music
Kuhmo Chamber Music will be held for the 56th time. Artistic directors and violinists Minna Pensola and Antti Tikkanen have created the programme around the theme Yhtä juhlaa (“A Celebration”).
One important part of the celebrations is Oulu and its surrounding municipalities’ year as European Capital of Culture. Kuhmo Chamber Music is an integral part of this shared year and explores the theme At the Heart of Europe through three world premieres.
Fri 14 August – HUGO
The pre-event for the Kainuu Regional Celebration will take place at the Kontio School field in Kuhmo on Friday, 14 August.
The evening’s performer is HUGO, one of Finland’s most popular contemporary artists.
The event is made possible by the City of Kuhmo, Regional Council of Kainuu, Peura-Trans Oy, LähiTapiola Kainuu-Koillismaa, Osuuskauppa Maakunta, Kuhmo Arts Centre and the Municipality of Sotkamo.
Mon 17 – Sun 23 August – Kuhmo Local Heritage Week
Kuhmo Local Heritage Week offers a variety of easily accessible events organised by several local organisations throughout Kuhmo.
Sat 22 August – Evacuation History Event
Through an exhibition, presentations and a film screening, the event explores the experiences of Kuhmo residents who were evacuated during the Winter War. The subject is examined from the perspectives of both Kuhmo residents and the people of the Ostrobothnian municipalities that received evacuees.
Kuhmo Arts Centre, Koulukatu 1
Sat 19 September – Ei vain selviytymistä (“More Than Survival”)
Kuhmo Arts Centre
Crisis-work experts, cultural professionals and members of the public come together at Kuhmo Arts Centre to explore the significance of stories as a way of portraying crises and as a tool for supporting people through difficult experiences.
Mon 15 September 2025 – Fri 12 June 2026 – Runon rajatonta matkaa – Kalevala ja nykypäivä
The international art competition Runon rajatonta matkaa – Kalevala ja nykypäivä (“Poetry Without Borders – Kalevala and the Present Day”) invites artists from across Europe to interpret the Kalevala through paintings, drawings, sculptures, graphic art and photography.
Further information: Juminkeko.
