Creative Europe – Call for applications for 2028 European Capital of Culture – 2022

Objectives

• To safeguard and promote the diversity of cultures in Europe and to highlight the common features they share as well as to increase citizens’ sense of belonging to a common cultural area, on the one hand, and to foster the contribution of culture to the long-term development of cities at economic, social and urban level, in accordance with their respective strategies and priorities
• To trigger applications from cities in EFTA/EEA countries, candidate countries and potential candidates participating in the Creative Europe Programme (at the date of publication of the call), which wish to bid for the “European Capital of Culture” title for the year 2028
• To lead to the designation of one of these cities as European Capital of Culture 2028, that may be awarded the Melina Mercouri prize (funded from the respective Union programme supporting culture at the time of its award)

Priorities

• Piority 1: to enhance the range, diversity and European dimension of its cultural offering, including through transnational co-operation
• Priority 2: to widen access to and participation in culture
• Priority 3: to strengthen the capacity of its cultural sector and the links of the latter with other sectors and to raise its international profile through culture

Eligibility

Be a city from:

• EFTA/EEA countries (Albania expept the city of Tirana, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Montenegro expect the city of Herceg Novi, North Macedonia)
• Candidate countries
• Potential candidates countries

1.5 million euros (award of a pecuniary prize)