Latest EcocNews
Liepāja 2027, More than 500 events planned
On Wednesday, 4 February, the fifth meeting of the Liepāja 2027 Supervisory Board took place at the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, where key issues regarding the progress, achievements and next steps of the European Capital of…
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LPGC 2031, Sport and Culture go hand in hand
The mayor, Carolina Darias, the councilor for Culture, Josué Íñiguez, the councilor for Sports, Carla Campoamor, and the team from the LPGC'31 Technical Office, together with Sitapha Savané, president of the Club, present the collaboration agreement between the City Council…
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Skopje 2028, Open call for cultural and artistic projects
Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, will be the European Capital of Culture in 2028, together with the cities of Bourges (France) and Budweis (Czech Republic). In recent days, Skopje 2028 launched a call for cultural and artistic projects. The…
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Oulu 2026: Opening a European Capital of Culture by Opening the City
As someone who has spent over two decades researching European Capital of Culture hosting processes — and, in particular, observing the role of opening ceremonies and the use of public space — I approached Oulu 2026’s opening weekend with a…
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Budweis 2028, Open call for South Specific Festival
In 2028, České Budějovice (Budweis), a city in the Czech Republic, will be the European Capital of Culture alongside the French city of Bourges and Skopje, North Macedonia. In recent days, České Budějovice 2028 launched a call for proposals as…
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Members of the network are European cities, current or former candidates to the European Capital of Culture title.
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Mission
Our mission
Cities are where democracy, inclusiveness and innovation are produced, with culture being a facilitator of this entire ecosystem. More cities with cultural programmes for sustainability mean more power to address European challenges and opportunities;
The mission of the network is to support current and former European Capital of Culture candidate cities to implement culture-led urban development programmes and policies.
Meet our member cities
Members of the network are European cities, current or former candidates to the European Capital of Culture title.
Benefits of becoming a Member
Exchange of information and expertize specific for the needs
Free access to the Network’s capacity building programme for cultural cities
Technical and moral support to face the challenges specific to different phases of ECoC candidacy
Participation in specific programmes and grant application consortia
Participation and support in advocacy campaigns related to culture and urban development
The network facilitates European partnerships, mobility of creators and artworks, engagement of cities and citizens with European issues.
Latest blog posts
Culture Next Lounge at the Oulu2026 Opening Week-end: Two Days of Conversations, Music and Creative Exchanges
Culture Next was proud to be part of the opening weekend of the Oulu2026 celebration events. Over 250 cultural events, concerts, exhibitions, and various other activities took place between 16 and 18 January in the European Capital of Culture, and…
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Official program of the Culture Next Lounge@Oulu2026. Jazz & hip hop concerts, “winning & loosing” panel and a genuine world vilage
The Culture Next Lounge is opening its doors in Oulu this Friday, 16 January, at 17:00, at Teerenpeli (LOCATION HERE), right in the heart of the Oulu2026 Opening Festival. For two days, the Lounge will become a true hotspot for…
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The new mobility platform is live!
Our mobility programme has just launched in a new, simpler and more user-friendly format, making it much easier to apply for and manage your mobility requests. In short: the platform is now live and ready for you! Before applying, we…
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