The European Commission has proposed a new framework for the European Capitals of Culture programme from 2034 onwards, including changes to selection rules and wider eligibility for countries linked to the EU’s Creative Europe funding scheme.
The updated approach, applying lessons from more than 40 years of the initiative, would simplify the selection process and make it easier for groups of cities — including cross-border partnerships — to apply together, the Commission said in a statement on Thursday.
It would also place more emphasis on planning for long-term “legacy” after the title year, and increase the focus on citizen and youth participation, as well as inclusive and sustainable urban development.
The European Capitals of Culture programme is supported by Creative Europe, the EU’s funding programme for the cultural and creative sectors.
New figures cited by the Commission show that among Capitals of Culture evaluated between 2013 and 2022, programmes recorded 38.5 million audience attendances, while a typical title-holder delivered around 1,000 to 1,200 cultural activities during its year.
Visitor numbers increased by an average of 30–40% in selected title cities.
A programme running since 1985
The initiative began in 1985 with Athens and has had 85 title-holders since its creation, the Commission said.
Oulu in Finland and Trenčín in Slovakia currently hold the title, with Évora in Portugal and Liepāja in Latvia set to follow in 2027.
Examples of longer-term outcomes highlighted by the Commission include Košice, where a legacy organisation still manages 13 cultural centres more than a decade after the city’s 2013 title year.
Under the proposal, “third countries” that participate in or are associated with Creative Europe would be able to compete for the title from 2034.
The proposal will now be negotiated by the European Parliament and the Council, with a final text envisaged by mid-2027.
