One shared week, made across Helsinki.
ODDfest is a week of independently made events happening across Helsinki.
Artists, collectives, venues, organisations and companies make their own events — from exhibitions and performances to workshops, dinners, club nights and formats nobody has tried yet.
You make the event.
You shape and produce it in your own way.
ODD builds the week.
We connect the events through one programme and shared identity, so they are easier to discover together.
Start with what you do best
An exhibition, a performance, a workshop, a screening, a dinner, an open studio, a club night, a conversation — or a format nobody has tried yet. If it adds something to Helsinki's creative life, we want to hear about it.
Tell us about it
It does not have to be finished, funded or scheduled. Tell us what you are making, roughly where and when it could happen, how far along it is and what you still need to make it happen.
Build it your way
You shape and produce your event. Where useful, we can help connect you with other hosts, venues, partners or resources. Tell us what would make the biggest difference and we'll be clear about what we can help with.
Join the shared week
Your event becomes part of the ODDfest programme and communications, making independently produced events across Helsinki easier to discover together.
Bring something to ODDfest 2027.
ODDfest 2027 runs 19–25 April. We are collecting event ideas now. Tell us what you want to make happen, where you are with it, and what kind of connections or support would actually be useful.
An idea at the notes-on-your-phone stage is enough. Sending it commits you to nothing, and we'd rather hear it early than after the programme has closed.
Your idea is in, reference . Thank you.
We are collecting ideas for ODDfest 2027 now.
One week. Many hosts.
In 2026, the citywide programme was still called Creative Week. It brought more than 1,000 people to partner events across Helsinki, while ODDfest brought more than 150 acts to five venues. A few highlights from both — each built by a different host or collaboration.
ODDtheatre
With more than ten collectivesClub Theatre took over the main hall with dancers, DJs, actors, models and visual artists building one night together in real time, directed by Tyre.
Creative x Tech: Ecosystem Convergence
With Junction and Maria 01Founders, artists, hackers, designers, musicians and cultural operators in one room — people who usually build in separate circles. Talks, fireside chats and participatory programming opened the week.
Smell the Art
With Helsinki Perfume Club and Artishok.meAn exhibition for two senses: artworks paired with chosen fragrances, so scent could deepen, disrupt or extend what the eye saw. Created by Katia Los and Adriana Knispel.
Soirée of Serendipity
Curated by Vivian White Futures StudioAn invitation-only evening exploring what a good life in the future could look like, bringing together around 300 leaders, entrepreneurs, artists and thinkers from business, culture and society.
Decoration, product or societal structure?
With Hanaholmen and Nordic Culture PointA public panel, in Swedish, on where culture's value lies as funding tightens — with voices from the Kordelin Foundation, Kulturanalys Norden, Way Out West and Espoo Theatre.
ODDgames
With Espoo Game LAB, Odd Latent and Super BarioODDgames turned Tavastia into a playground for games, creativity and new technology. Across two days, visitors explored indie games, experimented with AI-assisted game-making and played together across different formats.
Creative Capital Gathering
With FiBAN and Joy for InnovationInvestors, foundations, funds and angels came together around one question: what does it really mean to invest in the creative industries? The focus was conversation rather than pitching.
ODD Deep Space
With Simo Vassinen and 13 facilitatorsODD Deep Space transformed Kamppi Chapel into a space for movement, sound and reflection on urgent questions about the future. Across two days, visitors explored themes ranging from work and wellbeing to AI and planetary limits.
The point is not that these events look alike. It is that, for one week, they become easier to discover together.
Some of the people and organisations behind ODDfest.
ODDfest 2025 and 2026 were made with artists, speakers, collectives and organisations like these.
- MusicValerie June (US) · Föllakzoid (CL) · Paleface & Avanti! · Stacy Epps (US) · Dominga (CL) · Kaukolampi · A. Blomqvist · Gone Future (SE) · Clavert · Electric Elisa · Heith (IT) · Lauer & DENA (DE)
- Performance & live artNuua Company · Ballroom Extravaganza · DanceWorks Helsinki · Q-teatteri · Espoo Theatre · Tyre
- Talks & ideasArthur C. Brooks (US) · Otto “YOTTO” Yliperttula · Salomé Daoudi (DK) · Juska “DJ Orion” Wendland · Pascal Fischer (DE) · Lotta Savolainen · Oki Tåg · Filip Hiltmann (SE) · Heidi Backman · Lottaliina Pokkinen
- Collectives & culture makersDocPoint · Bar25 — Days Out of Time (DE) · Indie Showcase · Aavistus · Uneton48 · Tanssin talo · Espoo Game LAB · Helsinki Film Lab
- PartnersGenelec · Marimekko · Holvi · Junction · Maria 01 · FiBAN · Amos Rex · Hanaholmen · Nordic Culture Point · Humak · Lassila & Tikanoja · Helsinki Film Lab · Innovestor · Radio Helsinki · Bonnier News · EIT Culture & Creativity
- Supported byCity of Helsinki · Finnish Cultural Foundation · Alfred Kordelin Foundation · Yksityisyrittäjäin Säätiö · Amos Anderson Foundation · Bo and Allan Hjelt Art Foundation
Watch the ODDfest 2026 aftermovie
Play the aftermovie · 1:31Want your event in ODDfest 2027?
An exhibition, a club night, a talk, a dinner, an open studio — or a format nobody has tried yet. We are collecting ideas for 2027 now, and yours does not need to be finished.
Submit your eventPartner with ODDfest
A week made by hundreds of people needs partners behind it — organisations that want to support the week or build something meaningful as part of it. Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll work out whether there is a good fit.
Talk to us about partnering →Practical / FAQ
Who can host an event at ODDfest?
Artists, collectives, venues, cultural organisations, communities and companies can all take part. You do not need to be an established organisation or have worked with ODD before.
What kind of event can be part of ODDfest?
Almost any format can work: exhibitions, performances, screenings, workshops, talks, dinners, club nights, open studios or something we have not seen before. What matters is that it adds something to Helsinki’s creative life.
Who produces the event?
You do. ODDfest is built from independently produced events across Helsinki. Hosts are responsible for their own concept, production, venue and finances. ODD connects the events through the shared week, programme, identity and communications.
Do I need to have everything figured out before I submit?
No. You can send us an idea before the venue, funding or programme is fully confirmed. The more concrete the idea is, the easier it is for us to understand where ODD might be useful.
Does it cost something to take part?
Artists, collectives and cultural organisations can submit and take part without a programme fee. Commercial collaborations with companies may work differently depending on what is being built together.
What if I don’t have a venue?
Send the idea anyway. We cannot promise to find a space for every event, but we can make introductions where there is a useful match with venues, partners or other hosts.
Can my event be free or ticketed?
Yes. Hosts decide how their own event works, including ticketing, unless we agree something different together.
Is ODDference part of ODDfest?
ODDfest and ODDference are separate parts of ODD that take place during the same week. ODDfest is Helsinki’s creative week, made by hosts across the city. ODDference is ODD’s own conference at Tanssin talo on 22–23 April 2027.
