Bicycle Week is back – this year’s theme is cycling and art

National Cycling Week is celebrated on May 8–17, 2026, with the main theme “Cycling and Art.”
The theme highlights the experiential side of cycling. Cycling allows you to move effortlessly from one place to another and stop whenever something along the way catches your interest. When cycling, art can be both part of the journey and the destination. Bikes are a convenient way to get to museums, statues, and other public art, such as murals. When cycling, art also comes to you as part of the environment. Along the way, you can see different landscapes and take in the smells and sounds of your surroundings.

Bicycle procession and outdoor concert

Everyone is welcome to join the group bike ride to the outdoor concert on Saturday, May 16. The ride will depart from the north end of Valkeisenlampi Park at 14:00.

The route follows the western edge of Valkeisenlampi Park to Kauppakatu Street, making a circle through Hapelähteenpuisto Park, the harbor, and Väinölänniemi Park. The bike procession will stop at the Sister Girl statue for a musical greeting. The Vox Polaris choir will perform a mini-concert in the courtyard of the Old Kuopio Museum at 15-15.30.

The City Bike season has begun

The Vilkku City Bike season has started again with 500 bikes and 54 stations. The newest station is located near the S-market in Maljalahti. This season, the per-minute usage fee will drop to 15 cents.

Last season, each bike was ridden about three times a day. In total, over 860 000 kilometers were cycled.

Before hopping on a Vilkku bike, it’s a good idea to review the terms of use. Proper use of the bikes increases safety and helps keep operating costs low.

In Kuopio, we get around the smart way

Road traffic accounts for more than a quarter of the emissions driving climate change in Kuopio. Passenger transport accounts for two-thirds of road traffic emissions.

Kuopio aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. One of the goals of Viksu Kuopio—the city’s climate and resource wisdom program—is to develop low-emission transportation and increase its popularity.

In recent years, walking and cycling routes have been improved, for example, by building separate lanes for pedestrians and cyclists and expanding the network of high-quality cycling routes. The goal of high-quality maintenance of these routes is to promote smart mobility year-round.