A week-long brass music festival held in Lieksa every late July, in business since 1979. The festival draws international brass players for masterclasses and concerts — chamber recitals in the church, big band nights by the lake, marching bands in the streets — and is one of the most respected brass events in Europe.
The town's normally quiet streets fill up; book accommodation early if you are visiting then. Many concerts are free; the headline performances in the church need tickets.