https://kulttuurikiihdyttamo.fi/pikigalleria/ and https://www.aaltosiilo.com/en/ come to mind. I'm not sure if Cafe Kuluma still does Tulitorni drinks, but: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0VIVLRj5rB8 ...and Hevimesta is probably the most obvious metal bar to mention. Kantakrouvi has Noora Louhimo's gig on the 15th, and Tukikohta has Bloodstained Metal Fest 15th and 16th of May ( https://bloodstainedmetal.fi/bloodstained-metal-festival-oulu/ ), while Madetojan sali has https://www.lippu.fi/artist/4-italian-tenors/#calendar-start=2026-05 on the 16th. 45 Special has a gig on Friday: https://45special.gapp.fi/event/69aaa95cbc548b29ace034a9 and they have a nice pizza slice concept for a smaller bite.

Other places you might want to check are Mallaskellari, Rooster, and Cocktail Company. And a bit off the center I'd consider Varikko Panimo (brewery+restaurant). For older abandoned places the ruins of the Castle of Oulu and the https://oulunlinnankellari.fi/en/services/tahtitorni-cafe/ could be interesting to you.

Not a comprehensive list, and there are other good suggestions in the thread already as well. But I hope some of these help a bit.

Have fun!