The Outsider Art Festival OAF 2026 will be held from August 20th to 30th, 2026, at a time when the societal atmosphere has grown colder and the support structures for those left outside society are crumbling.
The theme of the 2026 festival is HOPE. The idea of hope emerged from young creators for whom participating in OAF activities has brought hope for a better working life. Many describe OAF as a place where being an outsider turns into a shared experience – and a strength. Outsider art is brought to the same stages, audiences, and arenas as other art – not to the margins, but as part of the shared cultural conversation.
At OAF, equality is not a symbolic gesture, but concrete collaborative action, meaningful encounters, polyphonic discussion, and the breaking down of discriminatory power structures and glass ceilings – a shared revolution in the field of art. The festival’s discussion program also challenges those in power to stop and ask: Whose voice is heard – and whose is not?
Therefore, OAF invites everyone to join in creating more hope this August. You can participate in various ways:
- Send hope-inspiring thoughts: What gives you hope right now? Before the festival, we are collecting thoughts and experiences that will be presented on Radio Helsinki and at the opening events. You can send your thoughts to toivo@outsiderartfestival.fi.
- Participate on the Night of the Arts, Aug 20: Under the canopy of Central Library Oodi, the OAF MegOAFone will act as a mouthpiece for hope-inspiring texts and performances. Anyone is welcome to come and tell stories, for example by shouting or reciting poetry, and in the Sauna of Hope, you can encounter a fellow hopeful soul. From Oodi, the journey continues, led by Dash Che, to the Opera House Amphitheatre (from 18:00 to 20:00), where a 100-drummer tribute will be held in honor of Töölönlahti’s Park Drummer Jarmo. Bring your drumsticks and join in!
- Support by buying a supporter ticket: You can also create hope by supporting OAF’s activities. Our goal is to support the employment of people with partial work capacity in the creative fields. By purchasing a supporter ticket from the OAF Ticket Shop, you can provide a job and create hope for young people and other groups in difficult employment situations.
OAF 2026 artists: The OAF artists represent the field of outsider art from the realms of visual arts, music, literature, film, and performing arts from all over Finland: Matias “Matson” Välkkilä, Jenni Carlén, MC Harakka, Natalia Tong Ochoa, VHS-Klubi, EJH, Nykypost, Ansa Kurola, Satu Kankaanpää, Petter Hartzell, Aizhan Sultan, Riina Noro, Jarkko Salminen, Mikko Kallinen, Juha Pesonen, Tuulia Nuutinen, Ragnar Bengtström, Dash Che “Pekka Suomalainen, tavallinen suomalainen mies”, Park Drummer Jarmo, Mikael Valjakka, Susanne Brokesch, and Lauri Hyvärinen.
Read more: OAF Ticket Shop, OAF X Helsinki: The Night Of The Arts