From Athens to the Arctic: How Finland is redefining European culture capitals

Once seen as a distant frontier, the Arctic is moving to the center of global attention. Climate change, new trade routes, and economic shifts are reshaping the region. And now, culture is playing a role too, as the northern Finnish city of Oulu prepares to take the spotlight as a European Capital of Culture in 2026.

The very first city to hold this title, back in 1985, was Athens—a city already famous for its cultural legacy. In contrast, Oulu is better known for tech innovation and long winters than for its artistic landmarks. And the shift doesn’t stop there. In 2029, the European Capital of Culture will go even farther north, to Kiruna, Sweden, a city deep inside the Arctic Circle.

“This shift to the North tells you everything about how the EU selection criteria have changed,” says Samu Forsblom, Program Director at the Oulu Culture Foundation. “It’s no longer about celebrating cities that are already culture giants. Instead, it’s being given to cities that want to grow and develop into something new.”

Why Oulu? The Arctic’s Rising Relevance

Forsblom, who is gearing up for an estimated 1,000 scheduled events and 2 million visitors, believes that Oulu won the title over other cities because of its potential as a new Arctic cultural hub. As a region, the Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the world, with melting ice opening new trade routes and industries shifting northward. At the same time, small northern towns are emptying as people move south. Now, Oulu 2026, in partnership with 39 smaller municipalities, is betting on culture to help reverse that trend.

“Oulu has a role to play in the North that’s bigger than itself,” Forsblom explains. “We need to keep life going up here, and the Capital of Culture is a tool to bring hope and identity as well as make this region more visible in Europe.”

Going Beyond Tourism

Well-known Arctic destinations like Rovaniemi in Finland or Tromsø in Norway have built their reputations around tourism, but the North can be other things too.

“That’s what we want to define,” Forsblom says. “What does the North really mean to us, beyond tourism?”

Rather than relying on a single industry, Oulu is positioning itself as a complete city—one that integrates business, technology, and culture. And one where people don’t just visit, but live, create, and innovate.

Culture as a Youth Engagement Tool

In a city with an average age below 40 years old, the Oulu 2026 project is also part of a longer-term strategy to keep its many young people engaged. Forsblom cites initiatives like Untamed Office, which provides jobs for 18- to 30-year-olds, letting them shape their own cultural scene, while events like Frozen People, an electronic music festival held on the frozen sea, highlight the city’s Arctic way of life.

According to Forsblom: “People choose where to live in two stages. At 20, when they decide where to study, and at 30, when they decide where they want to work and raise a family. If a city doesn’t have a culture, it won’t hold onto them.”

A Mix of Art, Tech, and Indigenous Culture

Oulu has long been known as a tech powerhouse, leading in 5G—and now 6G—and major research in green energy and clean tech. But tech alone doesn’t make a city vibrant. To be truly livable, a city needs culture. As part of the Oulu 2026 festivities, the team is exploring this culture-and-technology crossover through a dedicated Art & Tech Festival, aimed at making cutting-edge innovations visible and engaging for everyone—not just engineers.

Forsblom gives an example: “If you use 6G as a tool for an interactive art installation, people start to understand, okay, this is the innovation, this is what’s behind it.”

Culture is also about people and belonging. Oulu’s vision as a northern culture hub goes beyond Finland’s borders, giving space to the region’s Indigenous Sámi people. While their traditional lands stretch across northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway, many Sámi live in Oulu, making the city an important center for Sámi culture and raising dialogue about heritage, rights, and identity.

“A lot of people don’t realize that the Sámi are the EU’s only Indigenous people, and that makes their culture a crucial part of the European Capital of Culture story,” Forsblom says.

A Lasting Impact Beyond 2026

The goal for Oulu 2026 is to go well beyond a year-long festival. The city, state, and private sponsors are investing €50 million in the cultural program itself, along with a major infrastructure transformation.

The new cultural hub, Tiima—a €30 million museum—will anchor the growing arts district. The revitalization of the Market Square (€35 million) and Pikisaari (€12 million), a historic island reimagined as a creative village, will provide space for artists, galleries, and cultural entrepreneurs. A new central library, Saari (€17 million), and upgrades to the popular Nallikari seafront will further position Oulu as a city that combines culture with quality of life. The city is also investing in the new multipurpose Oulu Arena, designed for ice hockey and large-scale events.

It’s a long-term project making a bold case for culture as a transformational tool. And it’s one that Forsblom has been deeply committed to for nearly a decade.

“For me, it will be a 10-year project,” Forsblom says. “I started it in 2017 and will finish in 2027. So, yeah, it better be good.”