Oulu and 32 northern municipalities in Finland will continue on a shared trip to become the European Capital of Culture in 2026. The final decision will be taken in the summer of 2021.? The European Capital of Culture is the European Union’s most important cultural initiative. “We will now continue to prepare the second phase application bidbook in extensive cooperation with the actors in the region and European partners,” says Piia Rantala-Korhonen, Director of the Oulu2026 project, in a press release. Access to the second round will be celebrated with the whole of Oulu, Finland and Europe on Thursday 25 June at 8 pm at Jukka Takalo’s Kayak Orchestra livestream gig. The concert can be followed on the Facebook pages of Oulu2026 and Mun Oulu city media. The concert is produced in cooperation with Oulu Days Urban City Festival.