Archive of the European Capital Of Culture

“Since the first edition of the European City of Culture in 1985 in Athens a great deal has been published about the programme, the candidates and the cities. This archive aims to bring as many records together for the benefit of researchers, candidates and those interested in cultural policy and cities.”

– Steve Green

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2028

Final Selection

Rouen

France
PreSelection Bid Book
Selection Bid Book

2026

Finland Pre-Selection ReportSlovakia Pre-Selection Report
Final Selection

Oulu

Finland
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Prešov

Slovakia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Savonlinna

Finland
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Tampere

Finland
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Trenčín

Slovakia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Trnava

Slovakia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Žilina

Slovakia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Martin

Slovakia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Nitra

Slovakia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Hlohovec

Slovakia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Banská Bystrica

Slovakia
Pre-Selection BidBook

2025

Germany Final Selection ReportGermany Pre-Selection ReportSlovenia Pre-Selection ReportSlovenia Final Selection Report
Title Holder

Nova Gorica

Slovenia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Nürnberg

Germany
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Ptuj

Slovenia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Zittau

Germany
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Piran

Slovenia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Magdeburg

Germany
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Lendova

Slovenia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Ljubjlana

Slovenia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Kranj

Slovenia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Hannover

Germany
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Hildesheim

Germany
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Dresden

Germany
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Gera

Germany
Pre-Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Chemnitz

Germany
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook

2024

Austria Final Selection ReportAustria Pre-Selection ReportCandidates/EEA Final Selection ReportCandidates/EEA Pre-Selection ReportEstonia Pre-Selection ReportEstonia Final Selection Report
Preselection

Srebrenica

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

St.Pölten

Austria
Final Selection BidBook
Pre-Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Tartu

Estonia
See all documents
Preselection

Tirana

Albania
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Narva

Estonia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Kuressaare

Estonia
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Dornbirn

Austria
Final Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Bodø

Norway
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Bad Ischl

Austria
Final Selection BidBook
1st Monitoring Report
Final Selection

Banja Luka

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook

2023

Romania Pre-Selection ReportGreece Pre-Selection ReportHungary Pre-Selection ReportHungary Final Selection ReportGreece Final Selection ReportRomania Final Selection Report
Final Selection

Rhodes

Greece
Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Salamis

Greece
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Samos

Greece
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Sfantu Gheorghe

Romania
Preselection

Suceava

Romania
Preselection

Szombathely

Hungary
Preselection

Targu Mures

Romania
Title Holder

Timişoara

Romania
Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Tripolis

Greece
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Volos

Greece
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Piraeus

Greece
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Messolonghi

Greece
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Lesvos

Greece
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Kalamata

Greece
Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Larissa

Greece
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Gödöllő

Hungary
Preselection

Iasi

Romania
Preselection

Ioannina

Greece
Pre-Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Elefsina

Greece
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Cluj-Napoca

Romania
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Corfu

Greece
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Craiova

Romania
Preselection

Delphi

Greece
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Braila

Romania
Preselection

Brasov

Romania
Final Selection

Bucharest

Romania
Preselection

Arad

Romania
Preselection

Bacau

Romania
Final Selection

Baia Mare

Romania
Final Selection BidBook

2022

Lithuania Final Selection ReportLithuania Pre-Selection ReportLuxembourg Pre-Selection ReportLuxembourg Final Selection Report
Preselection

Plungé

Lithuania
Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Rokiskis

Lithuania
Pre-Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Kaunas

Lithuania
See all documents
Final Selection

Klaipėda

Lithuania
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Jonava

Lithuania
Pre-Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Esch-sur-Alzette

Luxembourg
See all documents
Preselection

Anyksciai

Lithuania
Pre-Selection BidBook

2021

Final Selection ReportPre-Selection Report
Title Holder

Novi Sad

Serbia
See all documents
Final Selection

Herceg Novi

Montenegro
Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection BidBook

2020

Ireland Final Selection ReportIreland Pre-Selection ReportCroatia Final Selection ReportCroatia Pre-Selection Report
Final Selection

Osijek

Croatia
Osijek Pre-Selection BidBook
Osijek Final Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Pula

Croatia
Pula Pre-Selection BidBook
Pula Final Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Rijeka

Croatia
See all documents
Preselection

Split

Croatia
Split Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Three Sisters

Ireland
Three Sisters Final Section BidBook
Three Sisters Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Varazdin

Croatia
Varazdin Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Waterford

Ireland
Preselection

Zadar

Croatia
Zadar Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Zagreb

Croatia
Zagreb Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Limerick

Ireland
Limerick Final Selection BidBook
Limerick Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Dublin

Ireland
Dublin Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Dubrovnik

Croatia
Dubrovnik Final Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Galway

Ireland
See all documents
Preselection

Dakovo

Croatia
Dakovo Pre-Selection BidBook

2019

Italy Final Selection ReportItaly Pre-Selection ReportBulgaria Final Selection ReportBulgaria Pre-Selection Report
Preselection

Palermo

Italy
Palermo Pre-Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Plovdiv

Bulgaria
See all documents
Final Selection

Ravenna

Italy
Ravenna Pre-Selection BidBook
Ravenna Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Reggio Calabria

Italy
Reggio Calabria Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Ruse

Bulgaria
Ruse Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Shumen

Bulgaria
Shumen Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Siena

Italy
Siena Pre-Selection BidBook
Siena Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Siracusa ed il Sud Est

Italy
Siracusa ed il Sud Est Pre-Selection BidBook
Siracusa ed il Sud Est Pre-Selection BidBook Appendix
Final Selection

Sofia

Bulgaria
Sofia Pre-Selection BidBook
Sofia Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Taranto

Italy
Preselection

Urbino

Italy
Urbino Pre-Selection BidBook
Urbino Pre-Selection BidBook Appendix
Final Selection

Varna

Bulgaria
Varna Pre-Selection BidBook
Varna Final Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Veliko Tarnovo

Bulgaria
Veliko Turnovo Pre-Selection BidBook
Veliko Turnovo Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Venezia con il Nordest

Italy
Venezia con il Nordest Pre-Selection BidBook
Final Selection

Perugia

Italy
Perugia Pre-Selection BidBook
Perugia Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Pisa

Italy
See all documents
Preselection

Mantova

Italy
Mantova Pre-Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Matera

Italy
See all documents
Final Selection

Lecce

Italy
Lecce Pre-Selection BidBook
Lecce Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

L’Aquila

Italy
L'Aquila Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Grosseto-Maremma

Italy
Grosseto-Maremma Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Erice

Italy
Erice Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Gabrovo

Bulgaria
Gabrovo Pre-Selection BidBook
Gabrovo Pre-Selection BidBook (Appendix)
Final Selection

Cagliari

Italy
See all documents
Preselection

Caserta

Italy
Caserta Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Cilento

Italy
Cilento Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Burgas

Bulgaria
Burgas Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Aosta

Italy
Aosta Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Bergamo

Italy
Bergamo Pre-Selection BidBook

2018

Netherlands Final Selection ReportNetherlands Pre-Selection ReportMalta Final Selection ReportMalta Pre-Selection Report
Preselection

The Hague

Netherlands
Hague Pre-Selection BidBook
Hague Pre-Selection BidBook Q&A
Preselection

Utrecht

Netherlands
Utrecht Pre-Selection BidBook
Utrecht Pre-Selection BidBook Q&A
Title Holder

Valletta

Malta
See all documents
Final Selection

Maastricht

Netherlands
Maastricht Final Selection BidBook
Title Holder

Leeuwarden

Netherlands
See all documents
Final Selection

Eindhoven

Netherlands
See all documents

2017

Ex-post EvaluationCyprus Final Selection ReportCyprus Pre-Selection Report
Title Holder

Paphos

Cyprus
See all documents
Final Selection

Nicosia

Cyprus
Nicosia Final Selection BidBook
Nicosia Pre-Selection BidBook
Preselection

Limassol

Cyprus

2016

Bidding Wars (Spain)DSS & Wroclaw EvaluationSpain Final Selection ReportSpain Pre-Selection Report
Preselection

Oviedo

Spain
Preselection

Pamplona

Spain
Preselection

Poznan

Poland
Preselection

Santander

Spain
Final Selection

Segovia

Spain
Preselection

Szczecin

Poland
Preselection

Tarragona

Spain
Preselection

Torun

Poland
Final Selection

Warszawa

Poland
Final Selection

Zaragoza

Spain
Title Holder

Wroclaw

Poland
See all documents
Preselection

Málaga

Spain
Preselection

Murcia

Spain
Preselection

Lódz

Poland
Final Selection

Lublin

Poland
Final Selection

Katowice

Poland
Final Selection

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Spain
Final Selection

Gdansk

Poland
Title Holder

Donostia-San Sebastian

Spain
See all documents
Preselection

Cáceres

Spain
Final Selection

Córdoba

Spain
Cordoba BidBook
Cordoba BidBook (pt. 2)
Preselection

Cuenca

Spain
Final Selection

Burgos

Spain
Burgos Final Selection BidBook
Preselection

Bydgoszcz

Poland
Preselection

Bialystok

Poland

2015

Ex-post Evaluation (Final Report)Belgium Final Selection ReportBelgium Pre-Selection ReportCzech Republic Pre-Selection ReportCzech Republic Final Selection Report
Final Selection

Ostrava

Czech Republic
Title Holder

Plzeň

Czech Republic
See all documents
Title Holder

Mons

Belgium
See all documents
Preselection

Hradec Králové

Czech Republic

2014

Ex-post Evaluation (Final Report)Latvia Pre-Selection ReportSweden Pre-Selection ReportSweden Final Selection ReportLatvia Final Selection Report
Title Holder

Riga

Latvia
See all documents
Title Holder

Umeå

Sweden
See all documents
Preselection

Uppsala

Sweden
Final Selection

Liepaja

Latvia
Final Selection

Lund

Sweden
Lund BidBook
Lund and Umea Selection Comparison
Preselection

Jurmala

Latvia
Preselection

Gavle

Sweden
Final Selection

Cesis

Latvia

2013

France Pre-Selection ReportFrance Final Selection ReportEx-post Evaluation (Final Report)Ex-post Evaluation (ECORYS)
Preselection

Saint Etienne

France
Preselection

Strasbourg

France
Final Selection

Toulouse

France
Preselection

Trnava

Slovakia
Title Holder

Marseille

France
See all documents
Final Selection

Martin

Slovakia
Preselection

Nice

France
Final Selection

Nitra

Slovakia
Final Selection

Lyon

France
Title Holder

Košice

Slovakia
See all documents
Preselection

Kubín

Slovakia
Preselection

Dolny

Slovakia
Final Selection

Bordeaux

France
Preselection

Bratislava

Slovakia
Preselection

Amiens

France
Preselection

Banská Bystrica

Slovakia

2012

Ex-post EvaluationSlovenia & Portugal Selection
Title Holder

Maribor

Slovenia
See all documents
Preselection

Ljubljana

Slovenia
Preselection

Koper

Slovenia
Title Holder

Guimarães

Portugal
See all documents
Preselection

Celje

Slovenia

2011

Final reportSelection report
Preselection

Oulu

Finland
Preselection

Rovaniemi

Finland
Title Holder

Tallinn

Estonia
See all documents
Preselection

Tampere

Finland
Title Holder

Turku

Finland
See all documents
Preselection

Mantta

Finland
Preselection

Jyvaskyla

Finland
Preselection

Lahti

Finland

2010

Final ReportSelection reportEx-post Evaluation
Title Holder

Pécs

Hungary
ECoC in cultural development
BidBook
Preselection

Potsdam

Germany
Preselection

Regensburg

Germany
Preselection

Sopron

Hungary
Preselection

Székesfehérvár

Hungary
Preselection

Veszprém

Hungary
Preselection

Miskolc

Hungary
Preselection

Lübeck

Germany
Preselection

Kaposvár

Hungary
Preselection

Karlsruhe

Germany
Preselection

Kassel

Germany
Preselection

Kecskemét

Hungary
Preselection

Görlitz

Germany
Preselection

Győr

Hungary
Preselection

Halle an der Saale

Germany
Title Holder

Istanbul

Turkey
Evaluation thesis
Lessons from Glasgow 1990
Preselection

Eger

Hungary
Title Holder

Essen

Germany
Evaluation report
BidBook
Preselection

Debrecen

Hungary
Preselection

Braunschweig

Germany
Preselection

Bremen

Germany
Preselection

Budapest

Hungary

2009

Report on the nominationsEx-post Evaluation (ECORYS)
Title Holder

Vilnius

Lithuania
Anthropological report
Title Holder

Linz

Austria
See all documents

2008

Ex-post EvaluationReport on the nominations from the UK and NorwayA comparison of Liverpool (United Kingdom) and Marseilles (France)Report on the short-listed applications for the United Kingdom nomination
Final Selection

Oxford

United Kingdom
Preselection

Norwich

United Kingdom
Title Holder

Stavanger

Norway
Our story
Final Selection

Newcastle

United Kingdom
Title Holder

Liverpool

United Kingdom
See all documents
Preselection

Inverness

United Kingdom
Preselection

Canterbury

United Kingdom
Final Selection

Cardiff

United Kingdom
Final Selection

Birmingham

United Kingdom
Preselection

Bradford

United Kingdom
Preselection

Brighton

United Kingdom
Final Selection

Bristol

United Kingdom
Preselection

Belfast

United Kingdom

2007

Ex-post EvaluationReport on the nominations from Luxembourg and Romania
Title Holder

Sibiu

Romania
City marketing
Governing ECoCs
Title Holder

Luxembourg

Luxembourg
Final report

2006

Report on the nomination from Greece
Title Holder

Patras

Greece
Urban branding

2005

Urban anxieties and creative tensions in the European Capital of Culture 2005Report on the Irish nominations
Title Holder

Cork

Ireland
An analysis of the cultural sector in the aftermath of Cork 2005

2004

Comparing the Genoa 2004 and Lille 2004 CasesCity reports
Title Holder

Lille

France
Lille 2004 and the role of culture in the regeneration of Lille métropole
Un événement d'une ampleur exceptionnelle
Title Holder

Genoa

Italy

2003

Title Holder

Graz

Austria

2002

Title Holder

Salamanca

Spain
A case study of Salamanca 2002
Preselection

Mons

Belgium
Title Holder

Bruges

Belgium
Lasting effects of Bruges 2002
Preselection

Barcelona

Spain

2001

Title Holder

Porto

Portugal
Title Holder

Rotterdam

Netherlands
The Impact of Cultural Events on City Image

2000

Final report
Title Holder

Prague

Czech Republic
Title Holder

Reykjavík

Iceland
Title Holder

Santiago de Compostela

Spain
Title Holder

Kraków

Poland
Title Holder

Helsinki

Finland
Deconstructing the Creative City: Snapshots from Helsinki
Title Holder

Bologna

Italy
Title Holder

Brussels

Belgium
Title Holder

Avignon

France
Promoting Europe through ‘Unity in Diversity’: Avignon as European Capital of Culture in 2000
Title Holder

Bergen

Norway

1999

Title Holder

Weimar

Germany

1998

Preselection

Stockholm

Sweden

1997

Title Holder

Thessaloniki

Greece
Preselection

Istanbul

Turkey

1996

Title Holder

Copenhagen

Denmark

1994

Title Holder

Lisbon

Portugal
Myerscough report
Dressing for success

1993

Title Holder

Antwerp

Belgium
Myerscough report

1992

Title Holder

Madrid

Spain
Myerscough report
Preselection

Granada

Spain

1991

Title Holder

Dublin

Ireland
Myerscough report

1990

Title Holder

Swansea

United Kingdom
Preselection

Leeds

United Kingdom
Preselection

Liverpool

United Kingdom
Title Holder

Glasgow

Scotland
See all documents
Preselection

Edinburgh

United Kingdom
Preselection

Cambridge

United Kingdom
Preselection

Bath

United Kingdom

1989

Title Holder

Paris

France
Myerscough report

1988

Preselection

Munich

Germany
Preselection

Bonn

Germany
Title Holder

Berlin

Germany
Myerscough report

1986

Title Holder

Florence

Italy
Myerscough report

1985

Title Holder

Athens

Greece
Myerscough report