IETM Plenary meetings are unique gatherings for our peers, partners and friends from across the globe. These sessions are opportunities for us, individually and collectively, to champion and challenge our work, our opinions and our thoughts for the future.

In the spirit of inclusion, IETM is committed to creating a safe space in which all voices can be heard, and an environment in which opposing views can exist without judgement or prejudice.

To achieve this, we encourage speakers and participants to show respect when they speak and listen to others.

1. For many people in the room, English is not their native language, so please take care to speak slowly and clearly (with the use of amplification where available);
2. Use the language that the individual prefers when referring to their gender, disability or racial identity. If you are unsure what language to use, ask respectfully;
3. Acknowledge and respect Indigenous sovereignty: Indigenous peoples have unique histories, cultures, customs and traditions that deserve respect and recognition;
4. We value diverse perspectives and encourage everyone to engage thoughtfully and respectfully in discussions, regardless of background, nationality, race, religion, gender or personal views;
5. If a speaker or participant is using access support, please communicate directly with the individual concerned and not via their translator or support worker;
6. If a speaker or participant is using a wheelchair and the conversation lasts more than a few minutes, sit down or kneel to be on their level if you can;
7. Always ask for someone's permission before touching them or getting physically close to them;
8. When a question is asked by a participant in a session, we ask that the moderator or speaker repeats the question before answering it;
9. Please allow all speakers and participants to complete their sentences without interruption; however, please also be mindful to allow space for many voices to be heard and for moderators to manage that;
10. Respect everybody’s right to both hold and share an opinion, listen actively to what someone is saying and ask questions if you need clarification. Show that you value their perspective and experience.
11. Discriminatory language, personal attacks, harassment or bullying based on identity or beliefs will not be tolerated.

Please keep in mind

• We all have knowledge, something to share, something to learn and hold valuable experiences and inputs;
• No-one is the holder of ‘the truth’;
• Respect the physical, mental and emotional boundaries of others as well as our own;
• Strive to act with positive intent and take care of each other.

Meeting venues

Oulu Theatre

Address: Kaarlenväylä 2, 90015 Oulu, Finland 

Oulu Theatre is the home of northern theatre art. Oulu Theatre is a forward-looking, nationally significant theatre that dares to be the talk of the town, also by reaching out to new audiences and trying out new ways of working. An organisation in the field of arts with over one hundred employees, the theatre produces seven to eight premieres per year across four different stages. There are also a wide range of guest performances.

Public transport connections: The nearest bus stops are Pokkitörmä, Kaupungintalo E or Kauppatori. All bus routes and timetables can be found on timetables and routes - Oulun Seudun Liikenne.

Contact details: +358 8 5584 7000 
Opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday from 12:00 to 19:00

Accessibility:  

• Parking is available in Autoranta or Kaarlenväylä 2. More information and fees: Parking Information | Parking | City of Oulu
• Two disabled parking spaces are available in front of the Theatre
• Taxi pick up and drop off: In front of main entrance, Kaarlenväylä 2
• Entrance: Step free entry to the Theatre, automatic doors
• Elevator access to all places in which the activities will take place
• The Ticket Office is located in the entrance/lobby
• Toilets and accessible toilets are available
• Two wheelchair seats are allocated per performance across all stages
• The theatre’s main stage is equipped with a hearing aid system and audio induction loops (hearing loops) are available in Pikisali and at the box office
• You can find more information about accessibility of the venue on this page

Cultural Centre Valve

Address: Hallituskatu 7, 90100 Oulu, Finland 

Valve is a cultural centre for all ages, open seven days a week. In Valve, you can enjoy cultural experiences created by both local organisers and international visitors. Valve promotes the accessibility and operational preconditions of arts and culture, as well as maintains facilities for event and leisure activity organisers. Valve works closely in cooperation with creators of culture and art, associations and event organisers.

Public transport connections: Nearest bus stops are Pokkitörmä, Kaupungintalo E. All bus routes and timetables can be found on timetables and routes - Oulun Seudun Liikenne

Contact details: Email: [email protected]
Phone number: +358 44 703 7501 
Opening hours: 08:00 - 22:00 Mondays to Fridays, 10:00 - 22:00 Saturdays and Sundays

Accessibility: 

• Parking: No customer parking is available. Parking is available in Autoranta or Kivisydän. More information and fees: Parking Information | Parking | City of Oulu
• Taxi pick up and drop off: Hallituskatu, in front of Valve
• Entrance: The Hallituskatu entrance is accessible and has an automated door.
• The passages at Valve are primarily accessible. However, there are higher thresholds and narrow doors in the older parts of the building, which is mainly used as an office space. A movable ramp is available for higher doorsteps if needed
• The in-house services / info is located in the entrance lobby. The counter's height is 80cm. No induction loop available
• The Ticket Office is located in the entrance lobby. The counter's height is 80cm. An induction loop is available
• The elevator’s size is 1440 mm x 1100 mm
• There is elevator access to all places in where the activities will take place
• The toilets and accessible toilets are located on the basement floor. The door is locked, but can be opened on request. You may request to open the door by phoning the in-house services on +358 44 703 7501
• Induction loop: The Valvesali Hall has an induction loop available
• The Valvesali Hall has three wheelchair places reserved on the first row. More accessible seating can be arranged by request. Please contact the Valve Ticket Office when booking wheelchair spots
• The Studio Cinema and Valvenäyttämö Stage are fully accessible by elevator
• You can find more information about accessibility of the venue on this page

Oulu Central Library Saari

Address: Kaarlenväylä 2, 90015 Oulu, Finland

Central Library Saari is home to one hundred thousand books, children's culture centre Kotilo, café Tarina and Teuvo Pakkala auditorium.

Public transport connections: Nearest bus stops are Pokkitörmä, Kaupungintalo E or Kauppatori. All bus routes and timetables can be found on timetables and routes - Oulun Seudun Liikenne.

Contact details: E-mail: [email protected]
Phone Number: +358 8 5584 7337
Opening hours: 08:00 - 20:00 Mondays to Fridays, 10:00 - 16:00 Saturdays and Sundays

Accessibility: 

• Parking: Autoranta or Kaarlenväylä 2. More information and fees: Parking Information | Parking | City of Oulu
• Taxi pick up and drop off: Kaarlenväylä 3, in front of main entrance
• Entrance: The entrance is accessible with automated doors and step free entry
• There is elevator access to all places in where activities will take place
• The toilets and accessible toilets are located on the first floor
• The Pakkala Hall has three wheelchair places reserved. More accessible seating can be arranged on request

Click here for a map of all venues, restaurants and hotels.

IETM is a strong advocate for land travel, and we therefore encourage you to travel by land if you are able to.

For any frequently asked questions about travel, you can consult our FAQ, below in this page. To find more information about Oulu, please check the official website of the city and this page providing additional information for travellers.

Getting to Oulu

By train

Taking the train is a comfortable and environmentally friendly way to travel, and it’s feasible to get to Oulu by train from anywhere in Finland. 

The train company name is called VR, and on their website you can find all the timetables and routes leading to Oulu from the main cities in Finland.

The Oulu railway station is located in the heart of the city, you can reach the city centre in a few minutes on foot, and it is 1.3 km from the main meeting venue.

By bus

Bus services:

• Matkahuolto

Contact details: For bus timetable information, you can call Matkahuolto on +358 200 4000 (€1.98 per minute + network charge). The telephone service is available from Monday - Friday 08:00 - 21:00 (EEST) , Saturday 10:00 - 18:00 (EEST), Sunday 10:00 - 20:00 (EEST). Find out more on their website.

• Onnibus

Contact details: For any inquiry, you can contact Onnibus via mail at [email protected] or call the +358 600 02010 (€ 1.01 / minute). The telephone service is available from Monday - Friday 08:00 - 20:00 (EEST) , Saturday 09:00 - 18:00 (EEST), Sunday 10:00 - 20:00 (EEST). You can find all additional useful information on their website.

Disclaimer: Tickets purchased via Onnibus are non-changeable and non-refundable, however the ticket can be given to another person to use. Find out more on cancellations policies and additional protection on their website.

Car pooling

If you choose to drive to Oulu, don’t forget to ask other participants if they want to share a ride by posting on our Forum.

Driving from Southern Finland to Oulu is very easy. The main northbound motorway is E75.

From Helsinki, simply take E75 all the way to Oulu. If you drive from Turku via Helsinki, take the E18 and then continue onto E75. If you drive from Tampere, take the highway 9 and then follow then take the E75 straight north.

The roads are in excellent shape, and there are numerous service stations along the way. Using Google Maps is strongly recommended.

Car parking

While some hotels provide a parking space, in the city of Oulu the underground parking space Kallioparkki is also available 24h and located 0,4km from the main meeting venues. The cost is €2.70/hour, €29/day. You can pay on site, or via the parking service app Moovy.

By air

Oulu Airport - Finavia
If you decide to travel by air, we suggest two easy and direct flight options:

• Finnair — flies directly from Helsinki (HEL) to Oulu (OUL). See their website.
• airBaltic — operates a direct route from Riga (RIX) to Oulu (OUL), with five flights per week (from March 2026). See their website.

How to get from the airport into the city: taxi and bus 

To go from the airport to the centre of Oulu, take buses 8 and 9. To get to the airport from the city, take the bus directly in front of the station. The single ticket price is €2.60, which can be purchased via the OSL app, or by cash from the driver. You can also pay in cash from the driver, in which case the ticket price is €5/oneway. At night, between 23:00 and 04:30, double fare is charged for single tickets purchased in cash from the driver.

The bus runs from early morning to late evening, however you can find out more information on this website. The cost of a taxi ride from the airport to Oulu is approximately €50.

Getting around Oulu

By foot

Oulu city centre is compact and pedestrian friendly; many of the main shops, cafés, services and attractions are close to each other. The streets are well kept and suited for walking and cycling.

By bike

Oulu is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Finland, with an extensive network of bike paths and lanes spanning over the city and beyond. The flat terrain makes biking even more convenient and an ideal mode of transport to get around the city. Renting a bike in Oulu is an easy way to explore the city at your own pace. If your hotel does not provide bikes to rent, on this page you can find a comprehensive list of rental points, prices, locations, and contact details and choose the one that suits you best.

Public transport

If walking is not possible, you can use public transport to get around Oulu. Oulu's regional transport system, primarily buses, connects the city with neighboring towns and key areas such as the airport. 

The single ticket price is €2.60 and they can be purchased from the OSL app, R-Kioski vendors that sell OSL tickets, and bus drivers. You can purchase a single ticket on buses by cash only. Single tickets come into effect from the moment of purchase. Single tickets are valid for 90 minutes. At night, between 23:00 and 04:30, double fare is charged for single tickets purchased in cash from the driver. Please, find all bus timetables and routes on this page.

While the network is well-organised and simplifies pricing with a zoneless fixed fare, its frequency and coverage may not be as extensive as in larger cities, creating additional planning needs for travels beyond the centre.

If you need additional information about disabled access on public transport in Oulu, please contact OSL customer service at +358 8 5584 0400, from Monday - Friday at 09:00-15:30 or send a message via the form on this page.

Share a room or host an IETM participant

Are you looking for someone to share a room with? Post your offer of accommodation or find a bunkmate via our Forum.

Hotels in Oulu

There are several special deals available for accommodation, however there are a limited number of rooms. We kindly advise you to book your accommodation as soon as possible.

Hotel Lasaretti 

Address: Kasarmintie 13b, 90130 Oulu, Finland 
Rates:

Breakfast is included in the price per room.

How to book: There is a special price available for IETM participants. You can book a room by emailing [email protected] or call +358 20 7574700, mentioning that you are participating in the IETM Oulu Plenary Meeting. You can make your reservation benefitting from the discounted price until one month before the event.

Distance in kilometres: The hotel is a 23 minute walk/1,7 km from the Oulu Theatre and the library.

Accessibility: 

• For any questions related to accessibility, you can contact the reception office at +358 207574700 or the sales office +358 020757470, or send an email at [email protected].

• The Hotel Lasaretti is a very old building and complete accessibility of the building is not guaranteed. However, the hotel has two single rooms where there is a sliding door to the bathroom and therefore accessible for wheelchair users. For showering, it is possible to request a special shower seat.

• It is possible to arrive by Taxi, the drop-off is in the vicinity of the front door. 

• There are two disabled parking spaces, one in the corner of the main building, where the reception is located, and one in the middle of the parking lot.

• The hotel has automatic doors leading to the reception in the main building: the entrance is wide enough for wheelchairs. During the daytime, access to the hotel building can be made through the main building where the reception is located, but at night time, access is possible only through the hotel. The hotel can be accessed via a ramp for wheelchair users.  

• The hotel is equipped with elevators that are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs.

• Assistance animals are welcome.

Original Sokos Hotel Arina

Address: Pakkahuoneenkatu 16, 90100 Oulu, Finland
Rates:

Breakfast is included in the price per room.

How to book:  You can book via this link with the promotion code BIETM26. For more information about your booking, please email [email protected]  or call +358 8 3123 111. You can make your reservation benefitting from the discounted price until one month before the event.

Distance in kilometres: The hotel is a 10 minute walk/0,7 km from the Oulu Theatre and the library. 

Accessibility: For information about accessibility at Original Sokos Hotel Arina, please contact [email protected].  

Radisson Blu Hotel

Address: Hallituskatu 1, 90100 Oulu, Finland
Rates:

Breakfast is included in the price per room.

How to book: You can book via their website using the promotion code IETM2026. For more information about your booking, please email [email protected]  or call +358 20 1234 730. You can make your reservation benefitting from the discounted price until 31 May 2026.

Distance in kilometres: The hotel is a 7 minute walk/550 m from the Oulu Theatre and the library.

Accessibility

• For any questions related to accessibility, you can contact the reception office at +358 10 784 5000 or send an email at [email protected].

• The hotel has four accessible rooms available. Reservations can be made through their website or by contacting the sales department email [email protected], or by calling at +358 20 1234 730

• Taxi drop-off and pick-up at the main entrance. The main entrance is accessible for wheelchair users.

• A disabled parking space is available by the main entrance. The hotel doesn’t reserve parking spaces in advance, as they are filled in order of arrival.

• The hotel main entrance has a step-free entrance with automatic doors wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs.

• The hotel lobby, restaurant areas and sauna facilities are step-free with flat-floor access. Hotel gym facilities are on the underground floor, with only stairway access.

• There is an elevator to access all rooms and restaurants. The elevator is wide enough for wheelchairs.

• There aren’t induction loops on the hotel premises.

• Assistance animals are allowed. There are no pet fees required for assistance animals.

Hotel Greenstar Oulu

Address Uusikatu 26, 90100 Oulu, Finland
Rates:

How to book: 
You can book using the promotion code IETM2026. For more information about your booking, please email [email protected] or call +358 10 423 9394. You can make your reservation benefitting from the discounted price until 1 May 2026. 

Distance in kilometres: The hotel is a 12 min walk/1 km from the Oulu Theatre and the library.

Accessibility: 

• The hotel has five accessible rooms available. To reserve one, notify the receptionist while making your reservation.

• There are two entrances to the hotel, and the main one is located on Uusikatu street. There are no steps. 

• You can find the nearest disabled parking spaces in the Kallioparkki-parking hall, located 200m away from the hotel.

• The entrance has a ramp that is wide enough for wheelchair users. This is where most taxis drop off passengers. Unfortunately, the doors are not automatic, therefore assistance is required.

• Both the hotel room and the reception/breakfast area are wheelchair accessible. 

• There are two elevators in the hotel, and they can both accommodate wheelchairs.

• Unfortunately, the hotel does not have hearing/induction loops.

• Assistance animals are allowed. 

• For any further questions related to accessibility, you can contact the reception office at +358 10 423 9394 or send an email at [email protected].

Scandic Oulu City - City Center

Address Saaristonkatu 4, 90100 Oulu, Finland

Rates: The accommodation price is based on daily dynamic pricing; there is no fixed rate.

How to book: The hotel offers IETM participants a discount on room reservations. Reservations can be easily made either from the website scandichotels.com by using code CGRO or through the following link: BOOK WITH SCANDIC.

The discount code is valid for both Scandic hotels in Oulu: Scandic Oulu City and Scandic Oulu Station.

Guests can choose their preferred room type, and receive an additional discount when paying for the reservation upon booking. The cancellation policy for individual bookings depends on the booking type chosen by the guest.

To confirm the reservation, guests must provide valid credit card information. Rooms are subject to availability and should be booked 10 days before arrival at the latest. 

Scandic Friends members should also check for available loyalty offers.

Hotel contact details:
Phone: +358 300308464 (price 0,16 €/min)
Email: [email protected] 

Distance in kilometres: The hotel is a 9 min walk/650 m from the Oulu Theatre and the library.

Accessibility:

• The hotel disposes of accessible rooms. To reserve one, please book a standard room and contact hotel reception after booking to request the accessible room.

• There is a taxi drop-off in front of the hotel main entrance.

• The hotel disposed of disabled parking spaces.

• The hotel entrance is step free, the doors are automatic, and is wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs.

• All public areas are flat-floor. The elevators can accommodate wheelchair users and they are available for different floors and to access different areas(hotel rooms / saunas etc).

• There is a hearing/induction loop available at the hotel reception.

• Assistance animals are allowed and no fee is required.

• You can find more information on accessibility at Scandic hotel on this page.

Scandic Oulu - Station 

Address Kajaaninkatu 17, 90100 Oulu, Finland

Rates: The accommodation price is based on daily dynamic pricing; there is no fixed rate.

How to book: The hotel offers IETM participants  a discount on room reservations Reservations can be easily made either from their website scandichotels.com by using code CGRO or through the following link: BOOK WITH SCANDIC.

The discount code is valid for both Scandic hotels in Oulu: Scandic Oulu City and Scandic Oulu Station.

Guests can choose their preferred room type, and receive an additional discount when paying for the reservation upon booking. The cancellation policy for individual bookings depends on the booking type chosen by the guest.

To confirm the reservation, guests must provide valid credit card information. Rooms are subject to availability and should be booked 10 days before arrival at the latest. 

Scandic Friends members should also check for available loyalty offers.

Distance in kilometres: The hotel is a 17 min walk/1,2 km from the Oulu Theatre and the library.

Hotel contact details:
Phone: +358 30030846 (price 0,16 €/min)
Email: [email protected] 

Accessibility:

• The hotel disposes of accessible rooms. To reserve one, please book a standard room and contact hotel reception after booking to request the accessible room.

• There is a taxi drop-off in front of the hotel main entrance.

• The hotel disposed of disabled parking spaces.

• The hotel entrance is step free, the doors are automatic, and is wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs.

• All public areas are flat-floor. The elevators can accommodate wheelchair users and they are available for different floors and to access different areas (hotel rooms/saunas etc).

• There is a hearing/induction loop available at the hotel reception.

• Assistance animals are allowed and no fee is required. 

• You can find more information on accessibility at Scandic hotel on this page.

Lapland Hotels Oulu

Address Kirkkokatu 3, 90100 Oulu, Finland
Rates:

How to book: 

You can book via this link using the promotion code ALLIETM26. For more information about your booking, please email [email protected] or call +358 8 881 1110. You can make your reservation benefitting from the discounted price until 12 May 2026.

Distance in kilometres: The hotel is a 13 min walk/0,9  km from the Oulu Theatre and the library.

Accessibility: 

• The hotel has six accessible rooms. You can request it when you make your reservation in the notes.

• There is a taxi drop-off in front of the hotel. There are no disabled parking spaces in the hotel area. The nearest available are located in the front of the church, 0,2 km distance from the hotel.

• There are elevators leading to all rooms in the hotel, and they are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs. There is no hearing/induction loop available in the hotel.

• Assistance animals are allowed.

• If you have any specific questions concerning accessibility, please contact [email protected].

Nallikari Holiday Village - By the sea

Address Kajaaninkatu 17, 90100 Oulu, Finland
Rates: 

All IETM participants can benefit from a -15% discount from normal prices. The discounted pricing is available for bookings made before 30.4.2026 according to availability. 

Please note that in villa accommodations, the minimum booking period is 2 days. 

Find out about the pricing here.

If you are not from an EU or EEA country, you must have a valid passport to enter Finland and it must be valid for the whole length of your stay.

Citizens of several nationalities do not require a visa to enter Finland for short-term stays (90 days within any given 180-day-time-span). To check if you require a Schengen visa to enter Finland, please check the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland website here, which also includes details on how to apply.

If you need an invitation letter to apply for a visa, please contact [email protected] with the subject line ‘VISA LETTER - Your Name’. Please note that we require at least 10 days notice prior to when you need your invitation letter by, in order to allow sufficient processing time. We are unable to process any last minute requests.

Currency

The currency in Finland is the euro (€). You can check the conversion rate to your currency here. Be sure to check with your bank for any fees on exchanging money and using international currency abroad.

Use of cards and cash

Bank cards are common and many venues are now cashless. Apple Pay, Visa, Mastercard and America Express are widely accepted.

ATMs nearest to main venue

Pekuri shopping centre: 
Address: Kauppurienkatu 10
Opening hours: Mondays - Sundays, 07:00 - 23:00

Emergency numbers

Emergency (ambulance, police and fire fighting service): 112

24 hour emergency care

Pohde emergency care 
Address: Kajaanintie 50, 90220 Oulu
Phone number: +358 116 117 
In Finland, emergency medical care is free

Pharmacy

Yliopiston Apteekki
Address: Isokatu 27, 90100 Oulu, Finland
Phone number: +358 300 20200
Opening hours: Mondays - Sundays, 08.00 - 23.00

In addition to the measures we take to make the impact of the Plenary on the environment as gentle as possible, we ask you to also contribute by following these tips:

• Switch off your computer and your smartphone when they are not in use;
• Connect to the venue’s public Wi-Fi instead of your 3G/4G data if possible;
• Avoid disposable tableware whenever possible and bring your own tote bag to shops and grocery stores;
• Sort your waste according to the instructions at the venues and throughout the city if possible;
• Recycle bottles and cans.
• Bring your own water bottle and reusable coffee mug to spare the environment the plastic and yourself the money;
• Refill your bottle. Tap water in Finland is completely safe to drink. We recommend that you fill up your water bottle in the morning at your hotel and do refills during the day - you can do so in the bathroom at the meeting venues.

REGISTRATIONS

How do I register for the meeting? 

In order to register for the meeting you must have an IETM account. 

• If you don't have one yet or are not sure if you already have one, please click here. Please note that new accounts take up to 3 working days to be approved.
• If you have forgotten your login information you can recover it here.

After logging in to your account you will be able to proceed with the registration procedure here. 

How do I register a colleague?

If you are trying to register someone other than yourself for the meeting, you will first have to ensure the person has an IETM account. 

• If the person has an account,  you can log in to their account (if they have forgotten their login information, they can recover it here).
• If the person does not have an account, you can create one for them here (make sure you are not logged into your own IETM account). Please note that new accounts take up to 3 working days to be approved. 

After logging in to their account, you will be able to proceed with the registration procedure. 

How do I cancel my registration?

You can cancel your attendance by selecting ‘Click here to cancel your registration’ at the bottom of the confirmation email you received when registering for the meeting.

We usually expect high attendance and for this reason we encourage anyone who is unable to attend the meeting to cancel their registration. Every spot is precious, so if you are not coming, please cancel!

FEES

Do I have to pay anything else besides the registration fee?

• You will have to pay for tickets to the artistic programme.
• You will also have to cover your own accommodation, travel, subsistence and other costs. 

For IETM members: Please make sure that your membership fee is settled before your arrival at the meeting.

PROGRAMMING

Can I propose a topic for a discussion?

Certainly! If you have an idea, a proposal or a suggestion please get in touch with us through our Forum. We will do our best to accommodate you. Please note however that an IETM meeting takes months and years to organise and that it is not always possible to respond positively.

Can I propose a performance for the artistic programme?

The artistic programme of an IETM meeting gives a snapshot of the contemporary performing arts scene in the host country. It is not a festival, but rather an overview of the achievements, tendencies and concerns of the artists in the city, country or region hosting the meeting, and is curated by our local partners.

TRAVEL AND MOBILITY

What external mobility funding opportunities are available to potentially support my attendance?

We invite you to check out the following resources for information on mobility funding:

• On The Move (OTM) is the cultural mobility information network active in Europe and worldwide. OTM produces, together with its partners, national and regional cultural mobility funding guides.
• Culture Moves Europe is the new, full-scale European cultural mobility scheme funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union and implemented by Goethe-Institut.