Today, the European Commission renews and strengthens the framework for the European Capitals of Culture beyond 2033, applying the lessons of more than 40 years of experience into the programme's next generation.
The aim is to simplify the selection process, strengthen long-term legacy and sustainability planning and make it easier for groups of cities, including cross-border partnerships, to apply together. It will also strengthen citizen and youth participation and give greater weight to inclusive and sustainable urban development.
Supported by the EU´s Creative Europe programme , four decades of the Capitals of Culture have shown the many benefits a year in the spotlight can unlock for a city, from new cultural spaces and creative opportunities for communities and artists to stronger local networks and international visibility.
Across the capitals evaluated between 2013 and 2022 alone, programmes recorded 38.5 million audience attendances, with a typical capital delivering around 1,000 to 1,200 cultural activities in its title year. In selected title cities, visitor numbers increased by an average of 30–40%.
A European cultural success story since 1985
Born in 1985, the European Capitals of Culture initiative started with Athens and has since travelled through cities, regions and peripheries across Europe.
Since its creation, there have been 85 European Capital of Culture title-holders. Oulu (Finland) and Trenčín (Slovakia) currently hold the title, with Évora (Portugal) and Liepāja (Latvia) to follow in 2027.
What lasts beyond the title year?
Across Europe, the initiative's legacy has taken different forms. Lille 2004 helped turn former industrial spaces into a network of cultural venues and created the momentum continued today by Lille3000. Aarhus 2017 involved all 19 municipalities of Denmark's Central Region, creating regional cultural cooperation that continued after the title year.
In Košice, former barracks and neighbourhood buildings were transformed into cultural spaces thanks to its 2013 title. More than a decade later, the city's legacy organisation still manages 13 cultural centres. And in Leeuwarden-Fryslân, the 2018 title developed into Arcadia, a recurring province-wide cultural programme, with another edition planned for 2028.
These experiences are informing the next framework: plan earlier for what lasts, reach beyond one city, involve more people and make it easier for cities and regions to work together.
Reach beyond Europe
Over the years, the programme has expanded beyond the borders of the European Union. Under the new proposal, third countries participating in or associated with the Creative Europe programme will be able to compete for the title as of 2034.
Next steps
The Commission proposal will now be negotiated in parallel at the European Parliament and at the Council, with a view to agreeing on a final text by mid-2027.
