Following the selection process and after reviewing and scoring all the applications, Culture Next announces the results of the cities that will host the Network’s conferences and thematic working groups for 2025 and 2026.
The applicant cities were the following:
FOR CONFERENCES:
Host of the Culture and Well-being Conference 2025:
- Bielsko-BIała (PL)
- Faro (PT)
Host of the Cultural Participation Conference 2025:
- Burgos (ES)
- Ghent (BE)
- Jerez de la Frontera (ES)
- Leeuwarden (NL)
- Matera (IT)
Host of Cultural and Creative Sectors Conference 2026:
- Larnaka (CY)
Host of Culture and the SDGs Conference 2026:
- Oulu (FI)
FOR GROUPS:
Host of the Culture and People Thematic Working Group 2025:
- Bielsko-BIała (PL)
- Leuven (BE)
- Matera (IT)
Host of the Culture and Creative Sectors Working Group 2026:
- Jerez de la Frontera (ES)
After the open call published on February the 13th, 2025, the Board and the Executive team of Culture Next Network analyzed the applications on the interested member cities, applied the selection criteria announced transparently in the open call and reached a final decision.
The Culture Next conferences and groups calendar for the next two years is the following:
Conferences:
- Cultural Participation Conference (Spring/Summer 2025): Leeuwarden (NL)
- Culture and Well-being Conference (Fall 2025): Bielsko-BIała (PL)
- Empowering CCS in Europe and beyond Conference (Spring 2026): Larnaka (CY)
- Culture and the SDGs Conference (Fall 2026): Oulu (FI)
Groups:
- Culture and People Thematic Working Group 2025: Leuven (BE)
- Culture and Creative Sectors Working Group 2026: Jerez de la Frontera (ES)
The selected cities showcase a diversity of ECoC statuses: conferences and groups will be hosted by current and former candidate cities, both awarded and non-awarded.
Should anyone require any clarification regarding the logistics of these future conferences or groups, or the selection process, please contact Angeliki (angeliki@culturenext.eu), Andras (andras@culturenext.eu), and Ștefan (stefan@cccluj.ro), respectively.
A big thank you to all applicant cities and teams for your efforts!
We look forward to our next meetings!
