In Oulu, Independence Day is celebrated together with festive flag-raising, blue and white illumination, and remembrance of the fallen heroes.
The highlight of the day is the City of Oulu’s Independence Day Civic Celebration in Madetoja Hall – open to all and streamed live online.
The calendar also features celebrations and events organised by other local communities, offering different ways to mark the day.
On the eve of Independence Day, December 5, the city encourages people to enjoy a blue-and-white coffee moment with loved ones at 2:00 PM. The table doesn’t need to be fancy, nor the atmosphere formal—the shared moment is what matters most.
On 6 December from 18:00 to 20:00, festive lighting will illuminate homes and various locations around the city, in keeping with tradition.
You may also place two candles in your window at 18:00 if you wish.
The City of Oulu organizes an annual Independence Day Civic Celebration and streams it live online. See the full programme on the event calendar.
The celebration will be held in Finnish.
In traditional fashion, Independence Day is a flag-flying day. Festive flag-raising will take place throughout the city from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
In the cemetery online service at oulu.hautausmaat.fi you can explore maps of Oulu’s war graves and read the stories of the soldiers laid to rest there. More than one thousand soldiers who fell in the wars of 1939–1945 have been buried in Oulu’s war graves.
