Backlight Photo Festival

The international Backlight Photo Festival will take place in Tampere, Finland, from 1–20 September 2026. Founded in 1987, Backlight is one of the oldest photography festivals in the Nordic countries and will be held for the 14th time in 2026.

The festival theme, The Art of Lying, explores how images, narratives, and technologies shape our understanding of reality. At a time when artificial intelligence, algorithms, and social media increasingly influence our perception of the world, the exhibitions ask who has the power to define what we consider true.

The international exhibition programme brings together 12 artists and artist collectives from around the world. The works address topics including the relationship between photography and power, political propaganda, surveillance technologies, algorithmic vision, and alternative forms of knowledge and experience.

The festival’s main exhibitions will be presented at Vooninki in the Finlayson area and at Photographic Centre Nykyaika. An international student exhibition at Gallery Koppelo will feature works by students from Tampere University, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, and Willem de Kooning Academy in the Netherlands. The programme also includes artist talks, a seminar, and other public events.

The artists of Backlight 2026 are Katerina Angelopoulou, Jo Duck, David Ellingsen, Ganslmeier & Zibelnik, Joel Jimenez Jara, Akshay Mahajan, Rafael Roncato, André Ramos-Woodard, Timo Wright, Sheung Yiu, Amin Yousefi, and Sasha Velicho.

Backlight 2026 invites audiences to reflect on how images construct reality—and what remains unseen. All exhibitions and events of the festival are free of charge.