Nallikari Snow Fest concluded with a Czech victory – next year the event will take place from February 10th to 14th, 2026

The international Nallikari Snow Fest snow sculpting event brought together eight teams from around the world to Nallikari from February 11th to 15th, 2025. The competition culminated in a victory for the Czech team with their sculpture On the Edge. Next year, snow sculpting will take place from February 10th to 14th, 2026, as part of the official Capital of Culture program.

Snow sculptors representing various styles and nationalities arrived in Nallikari from eight different countries, with the furthest teams coming from Canada, the United States, and Argentina. The four-day snow sculpting event concluded with the Czech team winning with their sculpture On the Edge, as decided by a three-member jury. The second place went to the Estonian team, and third place was claimed by a combined team from the United States and France. All three teams will automatically qualify to participate in next year's event.

The competition's jury was led by Juhani Lillberg, the president of the International Snow and Ice Sculpting Federation. Also making decisions were Aino Valovirta, responsible for Sámi culture at the Oulu Cultural Foundation, and coordinator Inka Hyvönen.

Nallikari Snow Fest got the people of Oulu moving

The Snow Art Park sculpture park saw a variety of works created by professional sculptors. Within just a few days, the sculptors experienced the best of Finnish late winter. The event also attracted a large crowd, with many people coming throughout the week. Once the sculpting began, hundreds of spectators gathered at the sculpting area on Wednesday and especially Thursday to watch the professional artists at work.

Nallikari Snow Fest as part of the official program of the Capital of Culture year