Oulu Nightlife

It is the first time that I write a negative tip, but I am really disappointed about this place. After being there several times with people from work and lot of our colleagues coming to Oulu stay in the Hotel connected to the Amarillo, I got rejected yesterday because of my shoes!!!??? This never ever happend to me in any place in Oulu, which I think makes the great atmosphere in this town. So I missed the last third of the icehockey game between Germany and Finland. It was the last time for me in Amarillo as there are so many other choices! It is expensive anyway.

Dress Code: Weird dress code. Sometimes you have to have the right shoes. Seems to depend on the mood of the door staff.

Pub Graali is a pub with a cozy atmosphere. Inside wood dominates the interior. It is not a disco so no dancefloor, instead people enjoy to talk and have a good time.

Dress Code: If there would not be my bad experience at Amarillo, I would say that there is no dress code in Oulu. Here at Pub Graali you can just come as you like, they want people to have a good time.

Well, hard to categorize nightlife in Oulu, a town which in summer has light through the whole night. No, but seriously. In case you want to spend a relaxing evening, you can stop by Kauppatorin kahvilamakasiinit, which is in one of the old harbour houses. Sitting there and watching the people is the perfect escape from a working day.

The website below is Finnish only, but might give you an impression of the place. Have a look at the Gallery.

This place I have recently been to the first time and enjoyed it there. It is pretty packed with people and space is partly rare, but in this older building the pub has a nice atmosphere. There are two floors. The lower one has a bar, while in the upper one there is, beside a second bar, a dancefloor. For those of you, who enjoy the cold, you can also stay outside the building in an area with tables.

This might be very odd to many tourists. People are partying, even when it's -30, snowing and the sea breeze is freezing. And the oddest thing is thatpeople bike to bars, despite of the weather. Even in the darkest winter you see bike lines, hundreds of bikes, outside the bars and night clubs in downtown.
The bravest ones are from university campus, 6kilometers from there to town, despite of weather.. And then they stay onn line outside the mos popular bars waiting to get in. So if you go party here, dress as usual, but take a very warm coat with you. And a hat made of wool will be good one too. It's good to remember that put your trendiest clothes under, but warmest ones on :D

Dress Code: In many places you can dress like you want to. But some places are more trendy than the others. In pubs there no dresscode at all. Bar 45Special is very famous among young international students and there you can be in same clothes as you are at school or work. Bars like Giggling Marlin or Night are more stylish and people use to dress very trendy there. But it's up to you=)

Nice nightclub close to centre, if very hot and humid as there is no A/C..but that's the case most places in Finland.. some nice decoration, palms etc.

Dress Code: party wear, AND max age limit should be 30-35 !!!

Relaxin and cozy. How come it could be anything else? NGO is the only reggae bar around here and I am glad it is here...It is alwasy very much homy and the decoration is good, you better check it out. Wood and stone and yeah, they do have the only unisex bathrooms in town, which are by the way in downstairs.
DJ plays good music inside in the winter time, but in the summer they do have great patio with good good music. And there is live music very often actually, despite pf the small size.

Dress Code: Oh, what u can expect?

Recently moved to a new location, Leskinen is a legend with locals. The carpet-covered tables aren't there any more, but the beer list hasn't suffered from the moving, adding a few nice pearls from Belgium, Czech Republic and Germany. You can also get some light food (the toasts aren't bad). And of course, chat with the locals - that's where the real people hang out.

Dress Code: Dress code in Oulu?

This nightclub opens around 22:00 and closes at 3:30 (on Saturday)
The play dancemusic. At the end the ground and toilet was full of glas , including my shoes!!
Had good fun
Entrance fee: EUR 5,00
Garderobe : EUR 1,70
Vodkaorangejus EUR 5,40

Dress Code: Just wear normal clothes

45 Special is a legendary rock bar, with so called alternative people. I'm not so sure about that, 'cause I use to visit there more than once in the month...but it's not that trendy bar with girls in hottest clothes and guys with a bottle of gel on their hair.

There are three floors and each of them have their own atmosphere. Basement is more hard one, in the middle you can just chat and on the upstairs there are more lighter sound.

There are Sunday jams on the basement every Sunday and they are quite popular. Even HIM made a suprise performance there once in the Sunday. Haven't seen that place so crowded ever...

Atmosphere is unique, this is an old jail I have heard. I'm not sure about that fact, but you can notice barred window.

Dress Code: So casual. Everything is allowed.