Hundreds gather in Oulu for all-night soft ice cream event with hourly price drops
Hundreds of ice cream lovers flocked to Nallikari Beach in Oulu overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday for the Soft Ice Cream Night (Pehmis Night) event, where the price of soft ice cream decreased by 10 cents every hour. The event, hosted by the Penguin Kiosk (Pingviini Kiosk), ran from 10 PM on Tuesday until 8 AM on Wednesday, with the final hour offering free ice cream (Iltalehti; Ilta-Sanomat).
The queue began forming immediately after the event started, stretching over 200 meters toward the nearby Eden Spa Hotel. According to Ilta-Sanomat, the line remained at least hundreds of meters long until around 1 AM, with wait times reaching approximately two hours. Iltalehti shared a reader-submitted video showing the lengthy crowd winding toward the kiosk.
Most attendees were young people, though families with children were also present. Many arrived prepared, bringing camping chairs, blankets, and snacks, which were occasionally shared among those in line. Ilta-Sanomat reported that the atmosphere was cheerful, with some groups playing music from portable speakers. The temperature in Oulu started at around +20°C at 10 PM but dropped to about +15°C as the night progressed.
Iisa Krökki, a 19-year-old ice cream vendor who worked the entire shift, estimated that 700–800 soft ice creams were sold during the event. She described the night as manageable, though fatigue set in toward the end. Krökki, who had also worked at the kiosk last summer, noted that attendees were in good spirits, particularly as prices dropped. "Of course, when you get it a bit cheaper, everyone is happy," she told Ilta-Sanomat.
The event proceeded calmly, though Ilta-Sanomat reported one instance of a group cutting in line. No alcohol was observed among the crowd. The Soft Ice Cream Night was also held last summer, drawing similar enthusiasm.
