Oodi, National Theatre’s Lavaklubi, Finnish National Opera and Ballet, Töölönlahti, August 20, 2026, 15:00–00:00
OAF takes over the cultural venues in the Töölönlahti area on the Night of the Arts, August 20, 2026! During the opening weekend, an experiential event complex will be built around Töölönlahti in collaboration with the Outsider Art Festival, Oodi, the National Theatre, and the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.
OAF X Oodi
MegOAFone, 16:00–18:00
A participatory art installation, MegOAFone, will be built under the canopy of Central Library Oodi to generate hope. The stage will be taken over by shout poet EJH and the rapping drag character MC Harakka. Additionally, there will be an open mic section inviting the city’s residents to make their own voices heard.
Natalia Tong-Ochoa: Sauna of Hope Installation, 17:00–20:30
Oodi’s Kuutio (The Cube) will feature the interactive art installation Sauna of Hope by Peruvian artist Natalia Tong-Ochoa. The installation invites visitors to write down their wishes and share their visions on how to make the world a better place.
OAF X Finnish National Opera and Ballet: Amfi theater & Main Foyer
Main Foyer OAF Encounters of Hope, 16:00–20:00
Welcome to the Main Foyer for a moment of pause and hope! Facilitated by OAF guides, the Encounters of Hope provide a low-threshold space for the audience and artists to share their thoughts.
Tribute to Park Drummer Jarmo, 18:00–20:00
A tribute to the legendary Park Drummer Jarmo will be held at the Amfi theater of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet from 18:00 to 20:00. The tribute event promises communal trash bin drumming, guest artists, and perhaps we will even see the star of the evening, Park Drummer Jarmo, himself.
Dash Che: “One Day of Pekka’s Life” – Töölönlahti Art Tour between Oodi and the Opera, 18:00–20:00
OAF’s Night of the Arts program is guided by artist Dash Che with their performance “One Day of Pekka’s Life”, which will move around Töölönlahti from Central Library Oodi to the Opera during the Night of the Arts. The performance gives voice to Che’s alter ego, the fictional drag character Pekka Suomalainen, who is a satirical embodiment of a conservative Finnish man.
OAF X WSOY: National Theatre’s Lavaklubi
OAF X WSOY Literature Evening, 19:00–22:00
The event will be opened at 19:00 by DuvTeatern’s Ragnar Bengtström’s poetry performance Ut genom väggen! The evening continues at 20:00 at the OAF Poetry Stage, which poses the question: what could literature outside the established literary scene mean? The evening culminates at 21:30 with a gig by the band Nykypost, where a fiery, Ginsberg-esque, and psychedelic spoken word tradition merges with the cultural heritage of punk, Thrasher, and the Back to the Future movies.
Read more: OAF X WSOY: National Theatre’s Lavaklubi, OAF X Finnish National Opera and Ballet: Amfi theater, OAF X Oodi
