European Capitals of Culture

about

The European Capital of Culture is the most important cultural institution of Europe and one of the most prestigious cultural events in the world. Τhe award of this title is a great tribute for any European city and country.

The European Capital of Culture is a title designated by the European Union for a period of one year during which a city is given the opportunity to highlight the importance of cultural development, to involve citizens and creators in this process and to promote European cultural identity.

The European Capital of Culture Programme was launched in 1985 and by 2019 the title will be awarded to 60 cities in 30 countries. The Project has become a key platform for city positioning and a catalyst for economic and cultural regeneration. This prestigious title has developed a significant audience in both Europe and across the world.

It is a high level cultural project that is monitored by the European Commission so that its programme content is maintained to the highest standards. The impact of the Project can be evaluated through the change that is stimulated through cultural and social capacity building, by infrastructure improvements and cultural venue development, but also by the economic impact from the upsurge of visitors to the city.

The implementation path of a European Capital of Culture has turned into a model followed by many European cities seeking cultural growth and image change. The European Capitals of Culture have become a popular destination, while the variety and the quality of their cultural programme acts as an important catalyst for cultural tourism.

Capitals of Culture

1985 Athens
1986 Firenze
1987 Amsterdam
1988 Berlin
1989 Paris
1990 Glasgow
1991 Dublin
1992 Madrid
1993 Antwerp
1994 Lisbon
1995 Luxemburg
1996 Copenhagen
1997 Thessaloniki
1998 Stockholm
1999 Weimar
2000 Avignon / Bergen / Bologna / Brussels/ Helsinki / Krakow / Prague / Reykjavik / Santiago de Compostela
2001 Rotterdam / Porto
2002 Bruges/ Salamanca
2003 Graz
2004 Genoa
2004 Lille
2005 Cork
2006 Patras
2007 Luxembourg
2007 Sibiu
2008 Liverpool
2008 Stavanger
2009 Linz
2009 Vilnius
2010 Istanbul
2010 Pecs
2010 RUHR
2011 Tallinn
2011 Turku
2012 Guimaraes
2012 Maribor
2013 Kosice
2013 Marseille-Provence
2014 Riga
2014 Umea
2015 Mons
2015 Pilsen
2016 San Sebastian
2016 Wroclaw
2017 Aarhus
2017 Paphos
2018 Leeuwarden
2018 Valletta
2019 Matera
2019 Plovdiv