The Outsider Art Festival program is expanding even further. We have already announced the main events for the August festival, and now we are thrilled to introduce four new, exceptional artists joining the 2026 lineup. These additions bring dreamlike experimentalism, endearing graphic art, hypnotic soundscapes, and genuine Helsinki street art history to the festival.
Park Drummer Jarmo Park Drummer Jarmo is an undisputed legend of Helsinki’s street art and underground culture, whose gritty and selfless rhythm has enlivened the city’s streetscape for well over a decade. Holding his regular spot by the shores of Töölönlahti Bay, Jarmo is a familiar sight to countless passersby. His instruments are the park’s metal trash cans, from which he conjures an irresistible groove. Jarmo’s relentless cultural work recently received a historic honor when the cultural cooperative Creat affixed a brass plaque to his regular trash bin, officially transforming the metallic instrument into a monument of public art.
Susanne Brokesch Born in Vienna and currently based in New York, Susanne Brokesch is a versatile artist, poet, DJ, and composer. She began her career in the 1990s, recording for the mythical Finnish label Sähkö, among others. Since then, Brokesch has built an extensive and multidisciplinary repertoire, releasing on notable international labels (such as Cheap Records and Disko-B). At her rare Finland gig, we will hear Brokesch’s recent work, where dreamlike electronic experimentalism masterfully intertwines with melancholic folk and fragmented blues tones.
Mikael Valjakka Working at the Kaarisilta Art Studio in Lahti, Mikael Valjakka (b. 1995) is a visual artist whose exhibition career, despite his young age, stretches back to 2010. His expression is built on clear surfaces and skillfully rhythmized lines. Valjakka has produced numerous portrait paintings and sculptures, but is currently focusing specifically on relief printmaking. He draws the animal and nature motifs for his works from his own walks. Valjakka’s works are simultaneously strikingly graphic and immensely endearing.
Lauri Hyvärinen Helsinki-based sound artist and musician Lauri Hyvärinen (b. 1986) uses the guitar as his primary instrument and sound source. Hyvärinen’s approach to sound is exploratory, and improvisation is at the very core of his artistic expression. In his performances, he combines free improvisation and minimalism with precise compositional thinking, creating strong, shared spatial experiences through his music. Known as a highly active live performer, Hyvärinen has toured extensively around the world and collaborated with numerous international artists.
Read more about the artists here.