European Capitals of Culture: an initiative putting culture at the heart of European cities with EU support for a yearlong celebration of art and culture.
The European Capitals of Culture (ECOC) initiative is designed to:
- Highlight the richness and diversity of cultures in Europe
- Celebrate the cultural features Europeans share
- Increase European citizens' sense of belonging to a common cultural area
- Foster the contribution of culture to the development of cities
In addition to this, experience has shown that the event is an excellent opportunity for:
- Regenerating cities
- Raising the international profile of cities
- Enhancing the image of cities in the eyes of their own inhabitants
- Breathing new life into a city's culture
- Boosting tourism
Year | City | Links |
---|---|---|
2019 | Matera, Italy | Matera 2019 |
Plovdiv, Bulgaria | Plovdiv 2019 | |
2020 – 2021 | Rijeka, Croatia | Rijeka 2020 |
Galway, Ireland | Galway 2020 | |
2022 | Kaunas, Lithuania | Kaunas 2022 |
Esch-sur-AlzetteLuxembourg | Esch-sur-Alzette 2022 | |
Novi Sad, Serbia | Novi Sad 2021 | |
2023 | Veszprém, Hungary | Veszprém 2023 |
Timișoara, Romania | Timișoara 2023 | |
Eleusis, Greece | Eleusis 2023 | |
2024 | Tartu, Estonia | Tartu 2024 |
Bad Ischl, Austria | Salzkammergut 2024 | |
Bodø, Norway | Bodø 2024 | |
2025 | Nova Gorica, Slovenia - Gorizia, Italy joint bid | GO! 2025 |
Chemnitz, Germany | Chemnitz 2025 | |
2026 | Oulu, Finland | Oulu 2026 |