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Hymyilevä Oulu 26 Celebration Gala
President Tarja Halonen serves as the patron of the
Hymyilevä Oulu 26 project and will give a speech at the gala.
Join us in celebrating photography, culture and human connection at the Hymyilevä Oulu 26 Gala at Pohjankartano in Oulu on Wednesday 10 June 2026.
The doors and photography exhibition open at 17:00. The auditorium doors for the gala open at 17:40, and the main programme begins at 18:00.
The event is free of charge and open to everyone. Admission to the auditorium is subject to seating capacity. Welcome to an inspiring evening of music, photography, discussions and memorable experiences.
Hymyilevä Oulu 26 -valokuvakilpailun voittajat
Presidentti Tarja Halonen toimii Hymyilevä
Oulu 26 -hankkeen suojelijana
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Sarah Aalto
Star performers
concert
at our party
Come join the Hymyilevä Oulu 26 gala to celebrate photography, culture and people meeting.
President Tarja Halonen's speech will be heard at the gala. President Halonen will serve
As a patron of the Smiling Oulu 26 project, his participation brings a strong
a message about the importance of equality, human dignity and community.
The gala will also feature a welcoming speech by Piia Rantala-Korhonen, CEO of the Oulu2026 Foundation, and a greeting from Lauri Nikula, Chairman of the Oulu City Council.
The star performer of the evening will be the internationally renowned singer, songwriter and pianist Saara Aalto .
The event will also feature performances by Nova Ensemble, Sounds of Oulu and
Sachina Thapa. The program will also feature a video greeting from Spain by Riogordo
Mayor Antonio Alés Montesinos.
Smiling Oulu 26 is a year-long international photography project taking place in Finland and Spain. The project includes a photography competition, courses, exhibitions and a gala. All events are free and open to everyone.
The gala is the culmination of the project. The evening will feature speeches, music, dance, a panel discussion, a photo exhibition and the award ceremony for the Smiling Oulu 26 photo competition. Guests can view the photo exhibition in the lower lobby before the event.
Smiling Oulu 26 is an official part of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture programme and one of its flagship projects. The project is the largest community photography project of the year in the Oulu area.
During the summer and autumn, the exhibition will be spread across several exhibition venues across Oulu. These include Oulu Cathedral, Valkea Shopping Centre, Valve Cultural Centre, Saari Central Library, Oulu City Theatre, Seurakuntatalo and Oulu10 and at various Villa Victor events throughout the autumn. The Spanish edition of the exhibition will be held in Riogordo in November 2026.
The event is organized by the Augmenters Cultural Association in collaboration with Villa Victor, Oulu City Multicultural Centre, the Oulu2026 Foundation, the City of Oulu, SOL companies and several other cultural, educational and community actors in Finland and Spain.
Panel discussion
The theme of the panel discussion is The Power of Encounter – Minorities, Loneliness and Community.
The panel discussion will consider how community, inclusion, and people-to-people encounters can be strengthened in modern society.
Participating in the fast-paced discussion will be Pirjo Nikula, Director of Wellbeing and Health Promotion for the City of Oulu, Satu Saarinen, Dean of Oulu Cathedral , Anna Litewka-Anttolainen from the Oulu2026 Foundation, Merja Peteri from the Luovi Vocational Collegel, and Kristian Kaarna from the Augmenters Cultural Association, Riogordo.
Photo exhibitions
The Smiling Oulu 26 photo exhibitions will bring the best photos from the competition to different parts of Oulu during 2026.
The exhibitions feature different ensembles and different images in different exhibition locations.
Oulu Cathedral 11.6.–15.10.
Shopping Center Valkea 11.6.–15.10.
Cultural Center Valve 23.6.–23.7.
Central Library Saari 16.6.–6.7.
Oulu City Theatre 14.8.–13.9.
Parish Hall 24.7.–15.12.
Oulu10 16.10.–15.12.
Smiling Oulu 26 photos will also be seen at Villa Victor events throughout the year.
The photos in the photo competition have been evaluated by the following jury:
Mari Aholainen , director of the cultural center Valve
Kati Leinonen , Photo North - President of the Northern Photography Center
Hanna Manninen , gallerist at Gallery MABD
Tina Cavén , YLE culture journalist and art historian
Marttu Väisänen , producer of Oulu Pride and photographer
Mikko Rasila , Photographer
Mika Värttiö , Oulu Camera Society
Tuisku Koskela , Oulu Camera Society
Anna Litewka-Anttolainen , Oulu 2026 Project Manager
Enrique Godinez Luquez , director of the Museo Etnográfico de Riogordo