This year, the European Capital of Culture named Oulu, Finland, and Trenčín, Slovakia.  

Located in northern Finland, Oulu promises a vibrant year filled with cultural events and initiatives. The city aims to enhance its cultural visibility and engage both residents and visitors. The theme for Oulu’s year as the European Capital of Culture is Cultural Climate Change, which focuses on connecting diverse cultural expressions and fostering community engagement through art and culture.

Trenčín is a city in western Slovakia, in the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, approximately 75 miles from Bratislava. It is known for its medieval castle, situated on a rocky outcrop above the city, with origins dating back to Roman times.

© Visit Oulu

The city’s bid to become a Cultural Capital was submitted under the slogan “Cultivating Curiosity,” understood as a catalyst for cultural change and regeneration, fostering care, responsibility, interest and empathy. In the selection report, curiosity is described as “the main precondition to learn and create a creative and flexible environment” capable of responding to emerging challenges and contributing to solutions for existing ones. The vision is to align the city with a contemporary cultural expression rooted in collaboration and co-creation, connecting past and future, city and nature, culture and everyday life. A program of activities celebrating art and crafts is on the full Trenčín calendar available on the EcoC official website.

© Visit Oulu

The European Capital of Culture organization was launched in 1985 and has, to this date, awarded more than 60 cities across Europe the title of European Capital of Culture. It is designed to celebrate and promote cultural diversity on the continent, strengthen European citizens’ sense of belonging to a shared cultural space, and foster culture’s contribution to urban development.

The designation of an EcoC has proven to be a catalyst for urban regeneration, tourism growth, the strengthening of the chosen cities’ international profiles and the improvement of how they are perceived by their own residents. European Capitals of Culture are formally designated four years before the title year, allowing time to plan, prepare and embed the program within a long-term cultural strategy, establish European partnerships and ensure appropriate infrastructure is in place.

In 2025, titles belonged to Chemnitz, Germany, and the cross-border Slovenian/Italian cities of Nova Gorica/Gorizia.