The Frisian city of Leeuwarden in the Netherlands becomes Europe's Capital of Culture

The opening festivities of Leeuwarden-Friesland 2018 started the Friday before at noon, when all primary school classes from Friesland sang the anthem of Leeuwarden-Friesland. It then continued in the evening with museums and residents in the region opening their doors to tell visitors stories about a better future. 

On Saturday, events were organized in Leeuwarden as a taster of the year's programme. Professionals and amateurs filled city squares with theatre, dance, singing and musical performances.

The highlight was the musical and visual representation of the year's main theme, "Iepen Mienskip" (Frisian words for "open sense of community"). The three main squares in the inner city hosted performances with choirs, fanfares, orchestras and brass bands, mixing music, dance, theatre with video-mapping. The Dutch Royal Couple set the clocks of all Frisian churches in motion to launch the year officially. 

According to the organizers around 40,000 people turned up despite freezing temperatures, filling the city squares and streets with their enthusiasm. 

"Culture is a conversation between people willing to share"

First Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, said that

"Culture is a conversation between people willing to share things that are different, because the beauty of humanity is this constant back and forth between what we have in common and what divides us".

This is precisely the raison d'être of the European Capitals of Culture. 

First Vice-President Timmermans presented Ferd Crone, the Mayor of Leeuwarden, with a commemorative plaque for the European Union's Melina Mercouri Prize, in recognition of the excellent work invested by the Leeuwarden-Friesland 2018 Foundation, the city and the whole Frisian region in the preparation of becoming European Capital of Culture.

With more than 800 projects involving music, theatre, landscape art, opera and sports taking place during the year, Leeuwarden-Friesland 2018 aims to strengthen and connect communities from across the Friesland region and Europe.

In 2018, Leeuwarden is sharing European Capital of Culture status with Valletta in Malta.