Bourges to be the European Capital of Culture 2028 in France
Bourges competed with Clermont-Ferrand, Montpellier and Rouen to become the European Capital of Culture 2028 in France.
The chairperson of the European Capitals of Culture expert panel announced that the city of Bourges has been recommended for the European Capital of Culture 2028 title in France.
The selection process
In accordance with the Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council governing the European Capital of Culture Union action, there will be three European Capitals of Culture in 2028: one in France, one in the Czech Republic and one in an EFTA/EEA country, a candidate country or a potential candidate.
Regarding the competition in France, the relevant French authorities invited applications from interested cities in December 2021.
Nine cities submitted applications by the deadline of 2 January 2023: Amiens, Bastia, Bourges, Clermont-Ferrand, Montpellier, Nice, Reims, Rouen and Saint-Denis.
During the pre-selection meeting the cities of Bourges, Clermont-Ferrand, Montpellier and Rouen were short-listed. They were given until 3 November 2023 to complete their applications.
The final selection meeting took place in Paris from 11 to 13 December 2023.
A panel of independent experts examine the applications. 2 of the experts are appointed by the relevant national authorities and 10 by EU institutions and bodies (European Parliament, Council, Commission and Committee of the Regions).
How cities become European Capitals of Culture
According to the current scheme for designating the European Capitals of Culture, the selection has 2 rounds:
- a pre-selection round (following which a shortlist of candidate cities is drawn up);
- a final selection round approximately nine months later (one city is recommended for the title).
The selected cities are then officially designated by the Member State concerned.
The selection criteria state that cities should prepare a cultural programme with a strong European dimension, which fosters the participation of the city's stakeholders as well as its various neighbourhoods and attracts visitors from the whole country and Europe.
The programme must have a lasting impact and contribute to the long-term development of the city. The cities must also show that they have the support from the relevant public local authorities and the capacity to deliver the project.
The next European Capitals of Culture
Each year, two to three cities hold the title of European Capital of Culture. Alongside Bourges, Budweis (České Budějovice) (Czech Republic) and Skopje (North Macedonia, pending formal endorsement) will also hold the title in 2028.
The three European Capitals of Culture 2023 are Timisoara (Romania), Elefsina (Greece) and Veszprem (Hungary).
Other upcoming European Capitals of Culture are:
- Tartu (Estonia), Bad Ischl (Austria) and Bodø (Norway) in 2024;
- Chemnitz (Germany) and Nova Gorica (Slovenia) in 2025;
- Oulu (Finland) and Trenčín (Slovakia) in 2026;
- Liepaja (Latvia) and Évora (Portugal) in 2027.
Background
Started in 1985, European Capitals of Culture have developed into one of the most ambitious cultural projects in Europe and one of the EU's most appreciated activities.
The goals of this initiative are more relevant than ever:
- to provide Europeans with opportunities to learn more about each other's cultures
- to enjoy their shared history and values
- to experience the feeling of belonging to the same European community
- to develop European cultural connections and partnerships
- to underline the role of culture in the development of cities.