Programme
All events are free to attend and open to all ages, unless otherwise noted.
All week
Rouge Bar & Bistro
Exhibition: Veera Konsti
- Konsti’s exhibition offers serious themes mixed with absurd humor and wild associations.
- Open Monday to Thursday from 16–23 and Friday and Saturday from 15–00
In cooperation with Rouge Bar & Bistro
Pedestrian street
Exhibition: Popkatu Through the Ages
- Dive into 25 years of Popkatu history through old posters and other archival treasures.
Monday 13 July
Sointula
16:00 Ryökäle
- The opening of Veera Konsti’s exhibition features a performance by Ryökäle, a band serving up garage folk with a big heart.
18+
Age-restricted
In cooperation with Rouge Bar & Bistro
Tuesday 14 July
Central park
Poetry Park
- A gathering place for word art. Poetry Park features a sound art and poetry piece by Saga Kampman and Jaromir Moisanen, a gig by musician-rapper-poet-printer Ester Nuori Leppä, and a Poetry Workshop in the library bus Mysteeri.
- 12–16 Poetry Workshop
- 13:00 HAARUKAT VEITSET LUSIKAT
14:00 Ester Nuori Leppä
In cooperation with Vaara-kirjastot
City centre
Arjen miehet & The Last Days of Piano
- Ville Elonheimo and Jaap Klevering go on an adventure with their piano in unexpected places.
Kekäle
15:00 Kaapo Kekäle
- Folk-pop artist Kaapo Kekäle’s music feels like a comforting hug from an old friend, childhood memories, and eternal summer.
The gig is sponsored by clothing store Kekäle.
Café Rento
DJ Voutif
- Summer vibes ranging from lofi beats to the world of Afro house.
Organised by Café Rento
Sointula
Popkatu Club: Sointula
- Popkatu club in Sointula features A. Lark combining poetry with music, melancholic folk-pop by Samettimies, and modern Finnish hits by Marita Närhi.
- 18:30 A. Lark
- 19:30 Samettimies
- 20:45 Marita Närhi
18+
Age-restricted
In cooperation with Sointula
Wednesday 15 July
Organised by Ukri
City Centre, in front of Mokkamaa
Story House (Tarinatupa)
- Enjoy a story time, reading marathon, music, and word art at North Karelian Writers’ Association Ukri’s tent. Events by the Ukri Writers’ Association, featuring storytimes, a reading marathon, music, and word art.
- 10 – 12 LET LOOSE – Kids’ morning
- 13 – 18 CHILL OUT – Night owl reading marathon
- 18 – 20 FEEL THE BEAT – Music and word art evening
City centre
Arjen miehet & The Last Days of Piano
- Ville Elonheimo and Jaap Klevering go on an adventure with their piano in unexpected places.
In cooperation with Vaara-kirjastot
Main library
VHS Club
- Explore 80s video tech, enjoy a film by Ida Maria Olva, and be amazed by Kalevi Suopursu’s show.
- 14.00 VHS Club’s video workshop
- 15.00 Isa-Maria Olva: Mehiläiskesä
- 16.00 Kalevi Suopursu karaoke show
Organised by VHS-klubi and Vaara-kirjastot
Café Rento
17:30 Regina Launivuo
- Regina Launivuo offers relatable pop-rock through captivating vocals.
Organised by Café Rento
Sointula
19:00 Kemal Achourbekov
- A charming Wednesday concert by pianist Kemal Achourbekov.
18+
Age-restricted
Organised by Sointula
Pedestrian street, Sininen virta and Vapaudenpuisto
10 – 16:30 Street performance competition
Pedestrian street
12 – 16 Koopkultur e.V: Words that Travel/Words that Stay
- Add your own words to the growing Language Tree.
Organised by PLURI Project
La Barre
19:00 MEKASTUS
- An evening filled with experimental, crunchy, and buzzing sounds from four local artists.
K18
Ikärajallinen
Organised by Lian Kutsu
Tuulaaki and Pakkahuone
Popkatu Club: Tuulaaki and Pakkahuone
- Tuulaaki stage features the legendary joku iiris, folk-trance vibes by Inariveljet, and the ambassador of joy and light, Vihreä Maa.
- In Pakkahuone there’s experience poetry and rhythm with Armas E. Leopold, the spoken-word spectacle Reippaan Pojan Hiustenhoitopäivä, the world of dance and joik by Mira & Wimme, and the purely instrumental joy of Rintayouppi. Café Rento pop-up serves mocktails at Pakkahuone.
- Both stages feature the dazzling drag king duo Meiton 2.
- Pakkahuone
- 17.40 Rintayouppi
- 19.20 Mira & Wimme: Kaiho
- 20.45 Meiton 2
- 21.00 Reippaan Pojan Hiustenhuoltopäivä
- 22.30 Armas E. Leopold
- Tuulaaki
- 18.20 Meiton 2
- 18.30 Vihreä Maa
- 19.45 joku iiris
- 21.30 Inariveljet
In cooperation with Tuulaaki, Pakkahuone, Café Rento and GURU Entertainment & Security
Thursday 16 July
Northern riverside park
10–17 Lastenpop
- Lastenpop has something for the whole family to experience and wonder.
Pedestrian street, Sininen virta and Vapaudenpuisto
10 – 16:30 Street performance competition
Market square
Culture Square (Kulttuuritori)
- Ritual Kiosk is run by three pagan priests and offers various rituals that tickle both body and soul. Marketplace Flea Market is a popular spot to find clothes, jewelry, kitchenware, books, and other second-hand treasures.
- 12–14 Ritual Kiosk
- 12-16 Marketplace Flea Market
Organised by Joensuun Virta
Pedestrian street
12–16 Miska Erçelik: Festival Tattoo Studio
- Let artist Miska Erçelik draw beautiful and meaningful words on your skin with a marker.
Organised by PLURI Project
City centre
Arjen miehet & The Last Days of Piano
- Ville Elonheimo and Jaap Klevering go on an adventure with their piano in unexpected places.
Main library
VHS Club
- Sing slowed down karaoke, see a film by Jesse Jalonen, and rate karaoke videos played directly from laserdiscs.
- 14:00 DOOM karaoke
- 15:00 Jesse Jalonen: Kukaan ei katso sinua silmiin
- 16:00 Laserdisc panel
Organised by VHS-klubi and Vaara-kirjastot
Teatteriravintola Eliel & Loja
18 – 21 RytmiHäiriköt
- The University of Eastern Finland’s Big Band surprises and gets your feet moving.
18+
Age-restricted
In cooperation with Joensuun kaupunkikeskustayhdistys Virta
Tuulaaki
20:00 Routaraja
- Routaraja’s authentic Finnish rock brings “iskelmä” (schlager) into the present day.
18+
Age-restricted
Organised by Tuulaaki
Sointula
Sointula Gigs
- Experience sensitive indie-folk by Olva and country-tinged tunes by Amuri (duo) in Sointula.
- 19:00 Olva
- 20:00 Amuri (duo)
18+
Age-restricted
Tickets 12,50 €
Tickets can be bought in advance starting on 14 July at 3 pm in Sointula, or at the door if tickets are available.
La Barre
Tuomiokatu
- Step to the altar with some of the heavy hitters of the Joensuu metal scene.
- 18:30 Opium Chalice
- 19:15 Cruciwitch
- 20:00 Morbific
Organised by La Barre
Café Rento
HOP Street
- HOP Street stage presents hot boyband Lenkkarit, personal and raw Eliitti, and the unique SlummiJere.
- 19:00 Lenkkarit
- 20:00 Eliitti
- 21:00 SlummiJere
Organised by Café Rento
Kerubi
Moska Club
- Punk is back—though it never really left. Young and hungry newcomers share the stage with seasoned punk-veterans.
Featuring Möyhy-Veikot, the energetic Charming Parade, and the powerful Joensuu punk promises Niskaperseote, Orgasmivaroitus, and Erektiohäiriö. - 19:30 Orgasmivaroitus
- 20:15 Erektiohäiriö
- 21:00 Niskaperseote
- 22:00 Charming Parade
- 23:00 Möyhy-Veikot
In cooperation with Rock Camp Joensuu, Näyttämö and Guru Security
Friday 17 July
Pedestrian street, Sininen virta and Vapaudenpuisto
10 – 16:30 Street performance competition final
Sointula
11 – 16 Vinyl Market
Organised by Sointula
Market square
Toripop
- The marketplace stage features artist LUMO, who creates delicate and euphoric electropop; the lovely indie-folk band Lempivärit; and Valkea, who play grand and ambitious indie rock.
- 12:00 LUMO
- 13:00 Lempivärit
- 14:00 Street performance competition awards ceremony
- 15:00 Valkea
In cooperation with Joensuun Virta
Café Rento
11 – 20 RytmiRanta
- All-day rap, reggae, and rhythm music by MC Sige X Da Hanski, Saunavuoro Soundsystem and Riverside Rockers.
Organised by Café Rento
Näyttämö
A Night of Two Performances
- Multi-artistic performances by Omiaruhje and Hälinä-Keiju, diving into physical expression, ritual, and chaos.
- Omiaruhje: Once said, heard long ago, always bitten (age limit 12)
- Hälinä-Keiju: Suggestion (age limit 7)
Tickets 15/25 €
In cooperation with Näyttämö
La Barre
Kerubi
Popkatu Club Kerubi
- This year, the Friday Popkatu Club will take over both floors of Kerubi!
- On the main stage, you will see the cult-favorite indie giant Brian, the storyteller and playful indie-jazz-pop artist Syskofrenia, and Hirttämättömät, who play a brand of “ruin-romantic” alternative country and rock’n’roll.
- The basement stage will feature the gritty and lovable punk band Arktirektum, the nuanced alternative rock band Grandiradio, and one of the winners of the 2026 Street performance competition.
- Main stage
19:30 Hirttämättömät - 21:30 Brian
- 23:15 Syskofrenia
- Basement stage
- 19:00 One of the winners of the Street performance competition
- 20:30 Arktirektum
- 22:30 Grandiradio
18+
Age-restricted
In cooperation with Kerubi and Fiktio ry
La Barre
22.00 Surmakuja
- A special heavy music night featuring three bands rising from the depths of punk and death metal: Huoneen Syyllisin Mies, Nameles and Northvoid.
18+
Age-restricted
Tickets 10/8 €
Tickets 10/8 € are available at the door. Discount with SMC membership card or JEIS card.
Organised by Susiraja Metal Club and La Barre