On Friday, 16 January, a delegation from Chemnitz will travel to Finland for the official opening of the European Capital of Culture Oulu 2026. Lord Mayor Sven Schulze, Cornelia Siegel (Head of European and International Relations, Protocol), the Managing Directors of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH, Andrea Pier and Stefan Schmidtke, as well as the mayors from the Capital of Culture region Daniel Röthig (Callenberg) and Nico Dittmann (Thalheim) will take part in the opening celebrations until 18 January.
On 17 January, Lord Mayor Sven Schulze will meet Ari Alatossava, Lord Mayor of Oulu, and 120 guests of honour, including mayors from all over Europe, at a joint lunch. In the evening, he will take part in the official opening ceremony at the Oulu Theatre. The day will conclude with an ice music concert by artist Terje Isungset on Oulu's market square, which will take place three times during the weekend as a public highlight.
Close ties between Chemnitz and Oulu
There has been an intensive exchange between Chemnitz and Oulu for several years. In 2025, delegations from Oulu visited Chemnitz to discuss the European Capital of Culture process. Joint projects such as concerts by young ensembles and an exchange between cultural professionals on the subject of comics have already been realised. Further collaborations are planned for the future, including projects for the Chemnitz Peace Day and a summer school as part of the "enter - Young Cultural Region Chemnitz" programme.
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