Oulu residents praise cultural capital year as weekend spectacle begins

Oulu’s European Capital of Culture year has met residents’ expectations, according to people interviewed by Yle as the city prepares for one of its biggest events of the year.

The outdoor multimedia event Delta Life and the Air Guitar World Championships are taking place in Oulu this weekend. Delta Life is being staged on a platform built over the water at Pokkisenväylä, a waterway near the city centre.

About 2,500 people attended Thursday’s preview, which followed the dark horse qualifiers for the Air Guitar World Championships. The championship finals will be held on Friday and Saturday, with Delta Life performances scheduled for both evenings.

Residents say the year has delivered

Residents interviewed at the event gave the cultural capital year highly positive assessments. Maarit Alasiurua said Oulu had needed an initiative like this, while Alisa Raappana said the year had also made existing cultural events more visible.

Martti Pietilä described the year as “very positive, with three extra pluses”. He said the events held during the summer had particularly stood out because they were engaging, well organised and popular with the public.

Pietilä said the year had fulfilled expectations, although he had initially had doubts about what it would bring.

“When people were dreaming of bringing this here, questions arose about what would come of it. Now I can say that I have enjoyed these events throughout the spring and summer, and an enormous amount of effort has gone into this,” Pietilä said.

More people out in the city

Friends Mahdi Akbari and Gharib Hussain Amiri also came to watch the event. Amiri, who has lived in Oulu for three years, said the city had felt noticeably different during the cultural capital year.

“It has been livelier, and more people have been out and about,” he said.

Amiri said he had attended events held in public places across the city centre. Akbari said the year had brought a positive atmosphere to Oulu.

“I am usually at work, but today I had a day off, so I came to see what was going on. Oulu is the best place,” he said.