October 2nd–6th, 2013
Oulu, Finland www.irkku.fi

The 8th annual Irish Festival of Oulu takes place from October 2th– 6th, 2013 in Oulu, Finland. This 5–day event in the very North of Europe showcases the best of Irish culture in signature style, attracting audiences from near and far.
Described by fans as “versatile, full of craic, welcoming, and intimate”, the 2013 festival has a world–class programme showcasing all artforms, including storytelling for grown–ups and children with Eamonn Keenan, music workshops with top tutors and dance classes for everyone from beginner to advanced competition level.

Irish Film Week is a mini–film festival within the festival, boasting a programme packed with award–winning films including Men at Lunch (Lón Sa Spéir) with director Seán Ó Cualáin attending a live Q&A session. Theatre is a hugely popular part of the festival programme, this year featuring Joyced!, written by Donal O’Kelly and performed by daughter Katie O’Kelly, taking us on a tour of Joycean Dublin in 1904. Irish poet John Montague adds his name to the impressive line of eminent Irish poets who have read their poetry at the festival. In visual arts, the festival hosts the world premiere of The Light of Other Days, an exhibition by Jim Maginn, displaying a photographic archive of traditional Irish musicians from 1985–2012. Complementing the concert programme, multiple daily sessions make for a long weekend full of opportunities for musicians to meet and enjoy the best of the Irish music tradition.

The festival is known for bringing in the biggest and the freshest names in the Irish music world, and this year is no exception. The Máirtín O’Connor Band and Fullset team up with the best of the local bands for two scintillating evenings of the best traditional music.  For the festival main event, Gráinne Holland enchants audiences with her sweet but powerful voice, prepping the crowds for Lúnasa, the hottest Irish traditional instrumental band on the planet. The result is a truly unforgettable weekend.
Welcome to Oulu, Finland for the northernmost Irish Festival in the world. Oulu, Finland is easy to reach and we look forward to welcoming you.

For more information, including hotel and ticket packages and travel information, please visit the website www.irkku.fi  or email: info@irkku.fi