On Sunday 8th of August, City of Oulu and Varjo-festivaali are organising Varjo Piknik, a family event in Kuusisaari. The event will celebrate that Oulu been chosen as the European Capital of Culture for the year 2026, and the success of Blind Channel in Eurovision. The event is free to attend.
Since the number of coronavirus cases is currently growing in Oulu, special attention will be given to safety at Varjo Piknik.
The event area will have a maximum capacity of 10,000 people which is half of the capacity of the Kuusisaari Event Park. The number of attendees is monitored and the gates will be closed if the amount of attendees is in danger of exceeding.
“The event organiser will create the necessary health safety requirements, but it is the responsibility of each attendee to remember to keep a safe distance to others, wear masks and maintain good hygiene”, stresses Ari Heikkinen, the Administration Director of City of Oulu.
The event attendees must keep a sufficient distance from other groups of attendees. One option is to bring your own picnic blanket and lay it on the ground so that it is at least two metres from any other group.
There is a strict recommendation to wear masks at Varjo Piknik. The mask should be worn especially when moving around and during queuing situations where it might not be possible to keep a safe distance from others. You are encouraged to bring your own mask. There will be masks available at Kuusisaari if necessary. There will be a space in front of the stage that is segregated from the rest of the area where masks will be mandatory.
The security will be monitoring around the event and will intervene if the health safety protocol is not being followed. Any customer who disregards or consciously neglects the hygiene instructions will be removed from the area.
You are not permitted to attend Varjo Piknik if you show any symptoms associated with coronavirus, have received a positive test result, or have been instructed to quarantine by the authorities.
The detailed safety instructions are available on the Varjo Piknik website: www.varjofestivaali.fi/varjopiknik/ (only in Finnish)
Full Day of Musical Joy from Oulu:
In the late morning, there will be music aimed at children and families with children. The whole musical programming consists of performers from the Oulu region. The event is free to attend and everyone is welcome.
On stage, we will see musician Julius Rantala, childrens’ bands Liikkuva Laulureppu, Soiva Siili and Pentti Punkin Syntymäpäivät. Additionally, the bands will walk around the area to play music and to showcase their instruments.
We will also see performances by the Santana cover band Mustana, the Indie Folk duo Lanai and the rap artist Jokrates. The evening will end with Blind Channel.
In addition to music, there will be a panel discussion Varjon alla, on the city culture of Oulu, organised by Kaleva. There will also be art, such as the paintings of Oulun Katutaide ry, and pop-up restaurants from Varjo-festivaali.
The Programme:
- 11.00 Gates Open
- 12.00 Julius Rantala
- 12.30 Liikkuva Laulureppu
- 13.00 Music and Instruments Showcase
- 13.15 Soiva Siili
- 13.45 Music and Instruments Showcase
- 14.00 Pentti Punkin Syntymäpäivät
- 14.30 Varjon alla – Kaleva Live: Panel Discussion on City Culture
- 15.30 Speech: Päivi Laajala, Mayor of Oulu
- 15.35 Mustana
- 16.30 Lanai
- 17.30 Jokrates
- 18.30 Blind Channel
- 20.00 End of Event
More information:
- Ari Heikkinen, Administration Director, Central Administration, City of Oulu, +358 40 070 0507, ari.heikkinen@ouka.fi
- Jorma Mäkitalo, Director of Health Care, City of Oulu, +358 40 515 6131, jorma.makitalo@ouka.fi
- Pro Piknik Festivals: Hanna Takkula, Event Producer, Pro Piknik Festivals Oy, +358 45 3280385, takkulahanna@gmail.com
