European Capital of Culture

Cities recognized by the European Union as culturally significant for Europe

The logo used by European Commission for European Capital of Culture Chemnitz (Germany), European Capital of Culture for 2025 Nova Gorica (Slovenia)-Gorizia (Italy), European Capital of Culture for 2025

A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can be an opportunity for a city to generate considerable cultural, social, and economic benefits, and it can help foster urban regeneration, change the city's image, and raise its visibility and profile on an international scale. Multiple cities can be a European Capital of Culture simultaneously.

In 1985, Melina Mercouri, Greece's Minister of Culture, and her French counterpart Jack Lang came up with the idea of designating an annual City of Culture to bring Europeans closer together by highlighting the richness and diversity of European cultures and raising awareness of their common history and values.

The Commission of the European Union manages the title, and each year the Council of Ministers of the European Union formally designates European Capitals of Culture: more than 60 cities have been designated so far. The current European Capitals of Culture for 2025 are Nova Gorica in Slovenia with Gorizia in Italy, and Chemnitz in Germany.

## Selection process

[edit]

An international panel of cultural experts is in charge of assessing the proposals of cities for the title according to criteria specified by the European Union.

For two of the capitals each year, eligibility is open to cities in EU member states only. From 2021 and every three years thereafter, a third capital will be chosen from cities in countries that are candidates or potential candidates for membership, or in countries that are part of the European Economic Area (EEA)[1][2]– an example of the latter being Stavanger, Norway, which was a European Capital of Culture in 2008.

A 2004 study conducted for the Commission, known as the "Palmer report", demonstrated that the choice of European Capital of Culture served as a catalyst for cultural development and the transformation of the city.[3] Consequently, the beneficial socio-economic development and impact for the chosen city are now also considered in determining the chosen cities.

Bids from five United Kingdom cities to be the 2023 Capital of Culture were disqualified in November 2017, because the UK was planning to leave the EU before 2023.[4]

## History

[edit]

Melina Mercouri

The European Capital of Culture programme was initially called the European City of Culture and was conceived in 1983, by Melina Mercouri, then serving as minister of culture in Greece. Mercouri believed that at the time, culture was not given the same attention as politics and economics and a project for promoting European cultures within the member states should be pursued.

The European City of Culture programme was launched in the summer of 1985 with Athens being the first title-holder.[5] In 1999, the European City of Culture program was renamed to European Capital of Culture.[6]

## New Voices in Creative Capitals: A Shift Toward Community-Driven Culture

[edit]

After 35 years of history, the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) initiative has experienced a significant shift in its approach to city branding, moving from a top-down model to a more inclusive, bottom-up strategy. This shift is reflected in the rise of innovative online projects, where a diverse range of participants—from volunteers and community activists to bloggers and interpreters—now play pivotal roles in shaping the creative landscape of the designated cities.

In Galway, Ireland, Polish journalist Malgosia Doczyk launched the platform Blue Tram, inspired by her previous involvement in similar initiatives in Sibiu 2007 (Romania) and Wrocław 2016 (Poland). This platform serves as a catalyst for creative exchange and collaboration among artists and residents.[7]

In Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Tatyana Garkavaya — a Bulgarian-Ukrainian award-winning writer, researcher, and web designer — established a networking platform aimed at connecting creative professionals from various ECOC cities, including Plovdiv 2019, Galway 2020, Kaunas 2022, and Veszprém-Balaton 2023. Through interviews with local artists and designers, the platform fosters new partnerships and collaborations, while offering an in-depth look at their projects and experiences.[8]

The Cultural Insights, Garkavaya’s initiative, extends the findings of her master’s thesis, which focused on Aarhus 2017 and Paphos 2017.[9] Through that academic work at the University of Milan, Garkavaya identified overlooked narratives within the local creative communities and used cultural and environmental advocacy to amplify the voices of musicians, designers, and artists often sidelined in the mainstream dialogue,.[10][11]

This initiative holds particular significance for creative professionals in Bulgaria, where the official program of Plovdiv 2019 faced numerous scandals and a lack of public engagement. The inability of the official channels to adequately promote the event and connect with local participants led to widespread disillusionment.[12] By contrast, Garkavaya’s platform provided a much-needed space for genuine, grassroots collaboration and visibility.

## List of European Capitals of Culture

[edit]

Year | City | Country | Notes/Links | Candidate cities

|
|
|
|

1985 | Athens |  Greece |
1986 | Florence |  Italy |
1987 | Amsterdam |  Netherlands |
1988 | West Berlin |  West Berlin | City under Western Allied occupation until 1990; territory was claimed by the Federal Republic of Germany. The name "European City of Culture" was used instead of "Capital" in order to not provoke the East German government.[13][14]
1989 | Paris |  France |
1990 | Glasgow |  United Kingdom | Glasgow Garden Festival
1991 | Dublin |  Ireland |
1992 | Madrid |  Spain |
1993 | Antwerp |  Belgium |
1994 | Lisbon |  Portugal |
1995 | Luxembourg City |  Luxembourg |
1996 | Copenhagen |  Denmark |
1997 | Thessaloniki |  Greece |
1998 | Stockholm |  Sweden |
1999 | Weimar |  Germany |
2000 | Avignon |  France | The year 2000 was called the millennium year and treated in a special way, in order to emphasize the enduring heritage and contribution of European cities to world culture and civilization. Because of that, nine locations were chosen, including two cities of states that were to join the EU on 1 May 2004.[15]
Bergen |  Norway
Bologna |  Italy
Brussels |  Belgium
Helsinki |  Finland
Kraków |  Poland
Prague |  Czech Republic
Reykjavík |  Iceland
Santiago de Compostela |  Spain
2001 | Porto |  Portugal |
Rotterdam |  Netherlands |
2002 | Bruges |  Belgium |
Salamanca |  Spain |
2003 | Graz |  Austria |
2004 | Genoa |  Italy |
Lille |  France |
2005 | Cork |  Ireland | Cork Caucus | Galway, Limerick, Waterford[16]
2006 | Patras |  Greece |
2007 | Luxembourg City |  Luxembourg |
Sibiu |  Romania |
2008 | Liverpool |  United Kingdom |  | Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Newcastle and Gateshead (joint bid), Oxford[17]
Stavanger |  Norway |
2009 | Linz |  Austria | Linz 2009
Vilnius |  Lithuania |
2010 | Essen |  Germany | Representing the whole Ruhr as Ruhr.2010. | Braunschweig, Bremen, Essen, Görlitz, Halle an der Saale, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Lübeck, Potsdam, Regensburg
Istanbul |  Turkey |
Pécs |  Hungary |
2011 | Tallinn |  Estonia |
Turku |  Finland | Turku 2011
2012 | Guimarães |  Portugal |
Maribor |  Slovenia |
2013 | Košice |  Slovakia |
Marseille |  France | Marseille-Provence 2013 | Bordeaux, Lyon, Toulouse[18]
2014 | Riga |  Latvia |
Umeå |  Sweden |
2015 | Mons |  Belgium |
Plzeň |  Czech Republic |
2016 | San Sebastián |  Spain | Donostia 2016 | Burgos, Córdoba, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Segovia, Zaragoza[19]
Wrocław |  Poland |  | Gdańsk, Katowice, Lublin, Warsaw[20]
2017 | Aarhus |  Denmark | Aarhus 2017 | Sønderborg[21]
Paphos |  Cyprus | Pafos 2017 | Limassol, Nicosia[22]
2018 | Leeuwarden |  Netherlands |  | Eindhoven, Maastricht, The Hague, Utrecht[23]
Valletta |  Malta | Valletta 2018
2019 | Matera |  Italy | Matera 2019 | Cagliari, Lecce, Perugia, Ravenna, Siena[24]
Plovdiv |  Bulgaria | Plovdiv 2019 | Sofia, Varna, Veliko Turnovo[25]
2020 – April 2021 | Galway |  Ireland | Galway 2020 | Limerick, The Three Sisters (joint bid Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny)[26]
Rijeka |  Croatia | Rijeka 2020 | Dubrovnik, Osijek, Pula[27]
2022 | Esch-sur-Alzette |  Luxembourg | Esch-sur-Alzette 2022
Kaunas |  Lithuania | Kaunas 2022 | Klaipėda[28]
Novi Sad |  Serbia | Novi Sad 2022 (Coronavirus postponement)
20231 | Eleusis |  Greece | Eleusis 2023 (Coronavirus postponement) | Kalamata, Rhodes[29]
Timișoara |  Romania | Timișoara 2023 (Coronavirus postponement) | Baia Mare, Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca[30]
Veszprém |  Hungary | Veszprém 2023 | Debrecen, Győr[31]
2024 | Bad Ischl |  Austria | Salzkammergut 2024 | Dornbirn, St. Pölten[32]
Bodø2 |  Norway | Bodø 2024 | Banja Luka, Mostar[33]
Tartu |  Estonia | Tartu 2024 | Kuressaare, Narva[34]
2025 | Chemnitz |  Germany | Chemnitz 2025 | Hannover, Hildesheim, Magdeburg, Nuremberg[35]
Nova Gorica/Gorizia joint bid |  Slovenia
Italy | GO! 2025 | Ljubljana, Piran, Ptuj[36]
2026 | Oulu |  Finland | Oulu 2026 | Savonlinna, Tampere[37]
Trenčín[38] |  Slovakia | Trenčín 2026 | Nitra, Žilina
2027 | Évora |  Portugal | Évora 2027 | Aveiro, Braga, Ponta Delgada[39]
Liepāja |  Latvia | Liepāja 2027 | Daugavpils, Valmiera[40]
2028 | Bourges[41] |  France | Bourges 2028 | Clermont-Ferrand, Montpellier, Rouen, Saint-Denis
České Budějovice[42] |  Czech Republic | České Budějovice 2028 | Broumov, Brno, Liberec
Skopje2 |  North Macedonia | Skopje 2028 | Budva[43]
2029 | Kiruna[44] |  Sweden | Kiruna 2029 | Uppsala[45]
Lublin[46] |  Poland | Lublin 2029 | Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Kołobrzeg[47]
2030 | TBA December 2025[48] |  Cyprus |  | Shortlisted cities:[48] Larnaca, Limassol
Other applicants: Nicosia[49]
TBA 24 September 2025[50] |  Belgium |  | Shortlisted cities: Leuven, Molenbeek, Namur Other applicants: Bruges, Ghent, Kortrijk[50]
TBA2 autumn 2025[51] | TBA |  | Lviv, Nikšić[52]
2031 | TBA
bids until 25 August 2025[53] |  Malta |  | Birgu, Victoria[54]
TBA
bids until 31 December 2025[55] |  Spain |  | potential candidates:[56]
Burgos, Cáceres, Granada, Jerez de la Frontera, Las Palmas, Toledo
2032 | TBA |  Bulgaria |  |
TBA |  Denmark |  | potential candidate: Næstved[57]
2033 | TBA |  Netherlands |  | potential candidate: Heerlen[58]
TBA |  Italy |  | potential candidates: Turin,[59] Pesaro/Urbino,[60] Viterbo[61]
TBA2 | TBA |

1 The European Capital of Culture was due to be in the UK in 2023. However, due to its decision to leave the European Union, UK cities would no longer be eligible to hold the title after 2019. The European Commission's Scotland office confirmed that this would be the case on 23 November 2017, only one week before the UK was due to announce which city would be put forward.[62] The candidate cities were Dundee,[63] Leeds, Milton Keynes,[64] Nottingham and a joint bid from Northern Irish cities of Belfast and Derry and the town of Strabane.[65]

2 A new framework makes it possible for cities in candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine), potential candidates for EU membership (Kosovo) or EFTA member states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) to hold the title every third year as of 2021. This will be selected through an open competition, meaning that cities from various countries may compete with each other.[66]

Athens

Florence

Amsterdam

Berlin

Paris

Glasgow

Dublin

Madrid

Antwerp

Lisbon

Luxembourg City

Copenhagen

Thessaloniki

Stockholm

Weimar

Avignon

Bergen

Bologna

Brussels

Helsinki

Kraków

Prague

Reykjavík

Santiago de Compostela

Rotterdam

Porto

Bruges

Salamanca

Graz

Genoa

Lille

Cork

Patras

Sibiu

Liverpool

Stavanger

Vilnius

Linz

Essen

Istanbul

Pécs

Turku

Tallinn

Guimarães

Maribor

Košice

Marseille

Riga

Umeå

Mons

Plzeň

San Sebastián

Wrocław

Aarhus

Paphos

Valletta

Leeuwarden

Plovdiv

Matera

Rijeka

Galway

Novi Sad

Eleusis

Timișoara

Kaunas

Esch-sur-Alzette

Veszprém

Tartu

Bad Ischl

Bodø

Chemnitz

Nova Gorica-Gorizia

Oulu

Trenčín

Liepāja

Évora

České Budějovice

Bourges

Skopje

Lublin

Kiruna

class=notpageimage|

Locations of European Capitals of Culture. Green designates current cities; red is for past cities; and blue for future cities.

## See also

[edit]

Portals:

* European Union
* Europe

* American Capital of Culture – In the Americas, title awarded annually by American Capital of Culture, an NGO
* Arab Capital of Culture – Arab League effort to promote and celebrate Arab culture
* European Green Capital Award – Award for a European city based on its environmental record
* European Youth Capital – One year city award
* European Region of Gastronomy – Regional title
* UK City of Culture – Cultural designation in the United Kingdom
* University Network of the European Capitals of Culture – International non-profit association

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Decision No 445/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014". 3 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 December 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
2. ^ "European Capitals of Culture 2020 to 2033 — A guide for cities preparing to bid" (PDF). European Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
3. ^ Palmer, Robert. "European Cities and Capitals of Culture" (PDF). ec.europa.eu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 April 2015. Study prepared for the European Commission
4. ^ "Brexit blow to UK 2023 culture crown bids". BBC News. 23 November 2017. Archived from the original on 26 March 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
5. ^ Kiran Klaus Patel, ed., The Cultural Politics of Europe: European Capitals of Culture and European Union since the 1980s (London: Routledge, 2013)
6. ^ "History – UNeECC". Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
7. ^ Blue Tram (2020 February) Life is beautiful because of the people we meet https://bluetram.net/life-is-beautiful-because-of-the-people-we-meet/
8. ^ Cultural Insights. (2020, February 15) From Plovdiv 2019 to Galway 2020: the Origin of the Cultural Insights by Tatyana Garkavaya https://artnatureinsights.github.io/tg/plovdiv-2019.html
9. ^ An Analysis of the Communication Strategies of the European Capitals of Culture 2017 Aarhus and Pafos by Tatyana Garkavaya https://www.academia.edu/71684113/Masters_Thesis_An_Analysis_of_the_Communication_Strategies_of_the_European_Capitals_of_Culture_2017_Aarhus_and_Pafos
10. ^ School of Participation Plovdiv 2019 Staying close together /// report 2019-2020 https://plovdiv2019.eu/data/fms/Legacy_photos/School of Participation.pdf
11. ^ Plovdiv 2019. Growing #Together Our Volunteer Legacy p. 120-121, 131 https://plovdiv2019.eu/data/fms/Plovdiv2019_2.pdf
12. ^ Homophobia scandal hits Plovdiv, Bulgaria's European capital of culture https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/07/homophobia-scandal-hits-plovdiv-bulgaria-european-capital-of-culture
13. ^ Janet Merkel (5 December 2016). "From a divided city to a capital city: Berlin's cultural policy frameworks between 1945 and 2015". Politiques de la culture. doi:10.58079/mreh.
14. ^ "Tanz im August | International Festival Berlin | Berlin - European Capital of Culture 1988". www.tanzimaugust.de.
15. ^ "Association of European Cities of Culture of the Year 2000 – KRAKOW THE OPEN CITY". krakow.pl. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
16. ^ "Galway & Cork make culture shortlist". RTÉ. 10 September 2001. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
17. ^ "Liverpool named European capital of culture". The Guardian. 4 June 2003. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
18. ^ "Marseille named Europe's culture capital for 2013". France24. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
19. ^ "The European Capital of Culture in Spain in 2016 will be San Sebastián". euroalert.net. 29 June 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
20. ^ "Wrocław Chosen as European Capital of Culture 2016". culture.pl. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
21. ^ "Sønderborg, Denmark: EU Capital of Culture 2017?". The Avid Cruiser. 13 March 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
22. ^ "Nicosia and Paphos outbid Limassol for European Capital of Culture 2017". Cyprus Mail. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
23. ^ "Who What When Where Why: LF2018". The Northern Times. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
24. ^ "Matera to be 2019 European Capital of Culture in Italy". International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
25. ^ "Four cities shortlisted for Bulgaria's European Capital of Culture 2019". The Sofia Globe. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
26. ^ "Galway to be European Capital of Culture 2020". Visual Artists Ireland. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
27. ^ "The Final Shortlist of European Capital of Culture Announced". Council Journal. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
28. ^ "Kaunas is shortlisted for the title of European Capital of Culture 2022". Kaunas City Municipal administration. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
29. ^ "Eleusis 2023". Aeschylia Festival. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
30. ^ "Timisoara 2021". European Capitals of Culture Ποιειν Και Πραττειν - create and do. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
31. ^ "Veszprém formally named 2023 European Capital of Culture". Budapest Business Journal. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
32. ^ "FAQs". Salzkammergut 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
33. ^ "Bodø recommended for the European Capital of Culture 2024 title beyond the EU". European Commission. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
34. ^ "Tartu win not a 'unanimous' decision for European Capital of Culture 2024". ERR.ee. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
35. ^ "Chemnitz to be European Capital of Culture 2025". DW. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
36. ^ "GO! 2025 - European Capital of Culture Nova Gorica-Gorizia 2025". GECT GO / EZTS GO. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
37. ^ "Oulu named European Capital of Culture 2026". The Barents Observer. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
38. ^ "Trenčín to be the European Capital of Culture 2026 in Slovakia". europa.eu. 10 December 2021. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
39. ^ "Évora named 2027 European Capital of Culture". Portugal Resident. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
40. ^ "Liepaja is the European Capital of culture for 2027". EcocNews.com. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
41. ^ "Bourges to be the European Capital of Culture 2028 in France". European Commission. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
42. ^ "České Budějovice to be the European Capital of Culture 2028 in the Czech Republic". European Commission. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
43. ^ "Skopje 2028, is online the Panel's Decision". ecocnews.com. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
44. ^ "Kiruna becomes Europe's cultural capital: "Grateful"". Sweden Herald. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
45. ^ "Kiruna och Uppsala vill bli kulturhuvudstad". Kulturrådet (in Swedish). Retrieved 21 February 2024.
46. ^ "Lublin has been awarded the title of European Capital of Culture 2029!". White Mad. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
47. ^ "Lublin has been awarded the title of European Capital of Culture 2029!". White Mad. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
48. ^ a b "Two cities shortlisted for the European Capital of Culture 2030 in Cyprus". European Commission. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
49. ^ "The race is on: Three cities bidding for EU cultural capital 2030". 30 October 2023.
50. ^ a b "European Capital Of Culture 2030 Belgium". ECOC2030BE. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
51. ^ "Designated European Capitals of Culture". European Commission. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
52. ^ "Ecoc 2030, in shortlist Lviv (Ukraine) and Nikšić (Montenegro)".
53. ^ "CALL FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS FOR THE UNION ACTION "EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE" FOR THE YEAR 2031 IN MALTA" (PDF). vca.gov.mt. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
54. ^ "European Capital of Culture 2031 Candidates".
55. ^ "El Ministerio de Cultura inicia el proceso de designación de la Capital Europea de la Cultura 2031". Ministerio de Cultura. 27 December 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
56. ^ "Spain 2031, six cities want to be Ecoc". ecocnews.com. 21 July 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
57. ^ "Vild plan: Vil gøre Næstved til europæisk kulturhovedstad". 11 January 2022. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
58. ^ Steen, Paul van der (8 March 2023). "Heerlen wil culturele hoofdstad van Europa worden". NRC – via www.nrc.nl.
59. ^ "Torino Capitale europea della Cultura nel 2033? Il Consiglio comunale dice "sì" alla candidatura". Torino Oggi. 19 April 2021. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
60. ^ "Pesaro e Urbino insieme per la candidatura a Capitali europee della cultura 2033". Progress. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
61. ^ "Viterbo candidata a Capitale Europea della Cultura 2033". Italia Economy. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
62. ^ Brady, Jon (23 November 2017). "Brexit destroys Dundee's hopes of being European Capital of Culture in 2023". Evening Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
63. ^ Lorimer, Scott. "The latest news and sport from Dundee, Tayside and Fife". Evening Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
64. ^ "European Capital of Culture". www.milton-keynes.gov.uk. Milton Keynes Council. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
65. ^ Meredith, Robbie (5 July 2017). "NI councils make bid for European Capital of Culture title". BBC News. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
66. ^ "European Capitals of Culture". European Union. 6 February 2021. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to European Capital of Culture.

* European Capitals of Culture
* Decision No 1622/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 2006 establishing a Community action for the European Capital of Culture event for the years 2007 to 2019
* Decision No 445/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 establishing a Union action for the European Capitals of Culture for the years 2020 to 2033 and repealing Decision No 1622/2006/EC

* v
* t
* e

European Capitals of Culture

1985
Athens
1986
Florence
1987
Amsterdam
1988
West Berlin
1989
Paris
1990
Glasgow
1991
Dublin
1992
Madrid
1993
Antwerp
1994
Lisbon
1995
Luxembourg City
1996
Copenhagen
1997
Thessaloniki
1998
Stockholm
1999
Weimar
2000
Reykjavík
Bergen
Helsinki
Brussels
Prague
Kraków
Santiago de Compostela
Avignon
Bologna
2001
Rotterdam
Porto
2002
Bruges
Salamanca
2003
Graz
Plovdiv
2004
Genoa
Lille
2005
Cork
2006
Patras
2007
Luxembourg City
Sibiu
2008
Liverpool
Stavanger
2009
Linz
Vilnius
2010
Essen
Istanbul
Pécs
2011
Turku
Tallinn
2012
Maribor
Guimarães
2013
Košice
Marseille
2014
Umeå
Riga
2015
Mons
Plzeň
2016
San Sebastián
Wrocław
2017
Aarhus
Paphos
2018
Valletta
Leeuwarden
2019
Plovdiv
Matera
2020-April 2021
Rijeka
Galway
2022
Kaunas
Esch-sur-Alzette
Novi Sad
2023
Veszprém
Timișoara
Elefsina
2024
Tartu
Bad Ischl
Bodø
2025
Nova Gorica / Gorizia
Chemnitz
2026
Oulu
Trenčín
2027
Liepāja

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* United States
* Czech Republic
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