Currently the most famous Iisalmi-based band is a humorous country-rock orchestra Halavatun Papat. A rough translation of the name is "Damn Grandfathers".
20th-century composer Joonas Kokkonen was born here, as were singer-songwriter Jaakko Teppo and jazz pianist and composer Jarmo Savolainen.
Iisalmi, even though being a relatively small town, has many cultural events on small and somewhat larger scales. One memorable event of the many is "Rompepäivät", which translates as "the days of old junk and stuff". People gather together bringing all kinds of old stuff imaginable from small sewing needles to old tractors for everyone to see and a lot of small things to be sold. Small amount of old restored cars, trucks, motorcycles and tractors, some of them Finnish made, are displayed for others to see. Here people talk about "good old times" or wonder over "ancient artifacts". Sometimes some of the finely restored machines are for sale to anyone interested to buy—of course if they can afford it.
Iisalmi is best known for its football club
