Since the first of january 2018 , Leeuwarden (Netherlands) and Valletta (Malta) have been awarded European Capital of Culture titles for one year. The opening festivities are scheduled from 14 to 20 January in Valletta and from 26 to 27 January in Leeuwarden.

The European Capitals of Culture help bring communities together through culture, with lasting benefits for the respective cities, their citizens and their economies.

2018 will be a special year as it is the European Year of Cultural Heritage, and the two capitals have included many projects promoting cultural heritage in their programs – helping to highlight the role of culture in building a European identity.

The call for projects “European Capital for Culture” for the year 2024 is already launched, it is managed by the program Europe Creative with financing of 1.5 million euro.