I probably said this before, but Oulu nightlife is quite surprising and different compared to what I'm used to in Portugal. For example, clubs or pubs open at 9pm or 10pm and clubs close at 4am. So it starts relatively early. If you think that in Finland people have lunch at 11am and dinner at 6pm, you won't find this strange...Downtown Oulu is very well organized and during the nighttime, students take it over. I mean...all people over 30 simply disappear. It's pretty amazing. The nicest thing is that all these places like pubs, bars or clubs are all quite close to each other. All one has to do is ride a bike or take a bus downtown and then just walk around. During weekdays the last bus leaving downtown to campus was at 1h40 (really bad) and on Fridays and Saturdays it would leave at 3h15 (better..). Still, whoever had a bike was ok. Sometimes, students called one of those big taxis (vans, actually). It is possible to put 15 or more students in one (I believe the record is still 19). They were the same price as the normal ones. So almost every student by October could already say the magic words on the phone:
- Yksi isotaksi yliopistokatu, nyt!
During 4 months I visited a lot of places, some better than others. And the place to go to depended on the day of the week. The prices of drinks and occasional parties had an influence on the choice. For example, many students went to a certain club at Wednesdays because they had 1 euro beer. I'll give you a short description of a few pubs, bars or clubs. Take into account that I'm not an "expert" on nightlife...
45 special - rock club, many concerts, 3 floors; it's the coolest place, in my opinion. Small, but the atmosphere is very nice. On Sundays there is the traditional "Jam sessions" where anyone is free to grab an instrument and join the others. Many bands, like 69 Eyes and Scenery Channel, performed there live during my stay. For those who like rock and hard rock, this is the place to go to.
Kaarlenholvi - quite different from 45 special. This one has no entrance fee, but usually the queue to get in is long and the bouncer is hard to please. But once inside, it looks good and also kind of "labyrinthic". It is easy to get lost if it's the first time you go. Usually the music is pop, rock, dance, quite normal tunes. No heavy dancing stuff like real discos. The dance floor could be bigger though. The slogan they use is somewhat curious: "Meille vai Teille?" - which means "My place or your place?". One thing is true, the prettiest women are to be found under this roof. And you can trust me, I was never drunk while in Oulu...
Hot Night Bar - ok, I have to say something about the name: change it!!! When I first heard about this club, I couldn't believe how "cheap" the name was. My first thought - erotic/strip joint. It turns out it's where most teenage boys and girls go to. Maybe the minimum age to get in being 18 helped to that fact. I could say a lot of bad things about it, but I'd rather let you decide for yourselves. Some things I should mention: the floor is sticky! (because of beer), the club is big (3 floors) and has space for everyone, it has a karaoke, after 2am the girls go wild and invade the men's wc. (actually stand in there just chatting, unbelievable), there is 1 euro beer at Wed, but everytime I went there with other exchange students I had fun. If it wasn't for that, I would never recommend it. Many people in Oulu don't like it, and I understand why. Still, with the right company, it can be nice.
Amarillo - it works as a restaurant during the daytime and as a club / bar in the evening. The lower floor is where the dancing takes place. I went there only once and liked it, but there's not much I can say about it. There are better places in Oulu...
St. Michael's Pub - the nicest pub in Oulu! On Sunday afternoons there is usually irish music played live (it is an irish pub). The look of it is quite traditional and warm. My first big mug of beer was taken here, where I got "dizzy" for the first time ever.
Caio - the only bar near campus. It is really incredible that in an area where thousands of university students live there is only one bar like this. And it's not even a "student" bar, since many normal workers go there. Anyway, if I ever want to open a business in Oulu, I know what to do. It has a "mexican theme" going on. It was probably the place I went to the most, because it was so near my building. Many parties and gatherings (ESN ones mostly) took place here. I recommend it, it's cozy and you can play some pool, and even choose the tracklist for yourself :)
Kaarlenholvi - quite different from 45 special. This one has no entrance fee, but usually the queue to get in is long and the bouncer is hard to please. But once inside, it looks good and also kind of "labyrinthic". It is easy to get lost if it's the first time you go. Usually the music is pop, rock, dance, quite normal tunes. No heavy dancing stuff like real discos. The dance floor could be bigger though. The slogan they use is somewhat curious: "Meille vai Teille?" - which means "My place or your place?". One thing is true, the prettiest women are to be found under this roof. And you can trust me, I was never drunk while in Oulu...
Hot Night Bar - ok, I have to say something about the name: change it!!! When I first heard about this club, I couldn't believe how "cheap" the name was. My first thought - erotic/strip joint. It turns out it's where most teenage boys and girls go to. Maybe the minimum age to get in being 18 helped to that fact. I could say a lot of bad things about it, but I'd rather let you decide for yourselves. Some things I should mention: the floor is sticky! (because of beer), the club is big (3 floors) and has space for everyone, it has a karaoke, after 2am the girls go wild and invade the men's wc. (actually stand in there just chatting, unbelievable), there is 1 euro beer at Wed, but everytime I went there with other exchange students I had fun. If it wasn't for that, I would never recommend it. Many people in Oulu don't like it, and I understand why. Still, with the right company, it can be nice.
Amarillo - it works as a restaurant during the daytime and as a club / bar in the evening. The lower floor is where the dancing takes place. I went there only once and liked it, but there's not much I can say about it. There are better places in Oulu...
St. Michael's Pub - the nicest pub in Oulu! On Sunday afternoons there is usually irish music played live (it is an irish pub). The look of it is quite traditional and warm. My first big mug of beer was taken here, where I got "dizzy" for the first time ever.
Caio - the only bar near campus. It is really incredible that in an area where thousands of university students live there is only one bar like this. And it's not even a "student" bar, since many normal workers go there. Anyway, if I ever want to open a business in Oulu, I know what to do. It has a "mexican theme" going on. It was probably the place I went to the most, because it was so near my building. Many parties and gatherings (ESN ones mostly) took place here. I recommend it, it's cozy and you can play some pool, and even choose the tracklist for yourself :)