Students’ Pride Week 16.-20.3.2026

Many higher education students are away during the OuluPride week in August due to their summer jobs or family visits. This sparked the idea to bring Pride Week in the middle of the spring term, so more students had the opportunity to participate in the Pride celebrations of the city they study in. With Students’ Pride we hope to bring more gender and sexual minority visibility on higher education campuses, create safe spaces and promote the messages of love, acceptance and freedom of self-expression. Internationality and accessibility are important to us, so the programme during the week is mainly free and a lot of the programne is organized in English!

Students’ Pride is held during University of Oulu’s equality week and is a part of the University’s Oulu2026 -programme. On the event week 16.-20.3., various programme items are organized from discussion events and workshops to hangouts, peer support groups and movie nights. Ooka ry and its partners bring events to the University of Oulu and the Oulu University of Applied Sciences campuses as well as to different locations in Oulu’s city center.

Programme

Monday 16 March

09:45–11:20 Neurodivergence at Work seminar @ Tellus Stage, Linnanmaa campus & Microsoft Teams

14:00–15:00 Queer Café @ Café Olohuone, Linnanmaa campus

17:00–20:00 Queer Screens Film Week @ Tellus Galaxy, Linnanmaa campus

18:00–20:00 Youth group (ages 16–19) @ Byström

18:00–19:30 Introduction to Shibari workshop @ Kulttuuripaja Moodi

Tuesday 17 March

10:00–11:30 Rainbow Youth Then and Now – discussion event @ Tellus Galaxy, Linnanmaa campus

14:00–16:00 QueerMieli & AINO: Promoting non-discrimination in higher education institutes discussion event@ OAMK, room 7B103, Linnanmaa campus

16:00–19:00 Art group @ Oulu SETA office

16:00–20:00 CRYO game night @ Cafe Aspretto, Linnanmaa campus

17:00–20:00 Ooka ry sign-making workshop @ Tellus Backstage, Linnanmaa campus

17:00–20:00 Queer Screens Film Week @ Tellus Galaxy, Linnanmaa campus

Wednesday 18 March

10:00–14:00 Bystander training, Dr. Minna Lyons @ L2, Linnanmaa (Note: only the University of Oulu staff and students, pre-registration)

16:00–19:00 Queer zine workshop @ Tellus Backstage, Linnanmaa campus

17:00–20:00 Queer Screens Film Week @ Tellus Galaxy, Linnanmaa campus

17:00–20:00 Fredrik Cygnaeus’ Salon (open rehearsals of a play) @ Cultural Centre Valve

18:00–21:00 Poly meetup @ Oulu SETA office

Thursday – MAIN DAY – March 19th

KONTINKANGAS PROGRAMME:

• 10:00–12:00 Gender Equality Day lecture, Heini Hakosalo @ Kontinkangas

LINNANMAA MAIN AREA: 11:00–16:00

• Stands: 11:00–15:00
• Tellus Avenue board game / crafts area: 12:00–16:00
• Hangout area (Ooka ry and Queer Staff Network): 11:00–16:00

MAIN DAY PROGRAMME

• 11:00 Opening speech
• 11:00 Rainbow fair (stands) starts
• 11:45–12:15 Speed Friending
• 13:15–13:30 Parade info
• 13:45–14:15 Parade
• 15:00 Rainbow fair ends
• 16:00 Event ends

MAIN DAY EVENING PROGRAMME

• 16:00–18:00 Hangout evening @ Green coat racks, Linnanmaa campus
• 17:00–20:00 Queer Screens Film Week @ Tellus Galaxy, Linnanmaa campus
• 18:00–20:00 SETA Men’s Group @ Tellus Horizon, Linnanmaa campus
• 18:00–20:00 SETA Arts and Crafts Group @ SETA office
• 22:00–01:30 Students’ Pride Oulu afterparty @ TBA

Friday 20 March

• 17:00–20:00 Queer Screens Film Week @ Tellus Galaxy, Linnanmaa campus
• 18:00–20:00 Asexuals’ group @ Tellus Horizon, Linnanmaa campus

The programme is updated, and details are published on week 11. Follow Ooka’s website and Instagram to keep up to date!