Competition manager Juha Laukka welcomes audience to the Barents Summer Games Oulu

Juha Laukka, Competition Manager of BSG Oulu

The Games will bring nearly 700 young athletes aged 15–25 to Oulu from Northern Norway, Northern Sweden, and Northern Finland on 21–23 August. A total of 14 different sports will be represented, with local sports clubs involved in organizing each discipline. More than 300 volunteers will be working at the event, and the total budget exceeds €350,000.

“The preparations for the Games already began last year,” says Juha Laukka, Competition Manager of BSG Oulu 2026 from the Regional sport organization of Northern Ostrobothnia.

“In August, it is especially worth marking Saturday, 22nd of August in your calendar, as that will be the busiest day of the Games. Spectators will have the opportunity to follow all the sports across different locations in Oulu,” Laukka continues.“This kind of multi-sport event is a welcome challenge for our organization. I believe the event will showcase the expertise of sports clubs in Oulu and reinforce the image of Oulu as an excellent place to host high-quality international sporting events,” Laukka states.

Sports of the Barents Summer Games

The Barents Summer Games event brings together a wide range of different sports, offering a diverse selection of both individual and team sports. The sports highlight versatility, internationality, and also include parasport disciplines. The competition programme includes a varied mix of endurance, skill, and strength-based sports, as well as ball games.

The opening ceremony will be held on Friday, the 21st of August at 8:00 PM at Rotuaari in Oulu, and the event is open to the public free of charge. All competition events are free for spectators to attend.