“With extremely positive conclusions, the panel of experts highlights “notable progress” in key areas such as building its core team, the definition of the artistic programme, and the establishment of national and international partnerships”, says the Evora 2027 team in a social media post.

According to the report, since the last monitoring meeting, Évora_27 has shown an upward trajectory, overcoming obstacles in “addressing early delays caused by leadership changes and administrative restructuring. The appointment of the Executive and Artistic Directors, as well as the gradual operationalisation of core mechanisms such as monitoring, open calls, and communications, mark important turning points.”

The report also acknowledges the central role of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) legacy and makes clear that “in this context, the infrastructure programme takes on particular importance, especially regarding heritage regeneration, as Évora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.”

For the panel, the commitment of the team reflects in a “strong and focused work.” The group of experts “notes with appreciation that Évora_27 is on the right track. It is clear that the team is knowledgeable and committed to what needs to be done, which is both reassuring and promising for the road ahead.”

For the Évora 2027 Association, this evaluation reinforces confidence in the path taken so far and serves as motivation to continue working with a strong sense of responsibility towards the realization of a participatory, truly transformative ECoC with lasting impact on the city, the region, and the country.

Overall Conclusion (from the report here)

Évora 2027 has made notable progress since the first monitoring meeting, particularly in building its core team, refining the artistic programme, and establishing partnerships at national and international levels. The association has demonstrated resilience and adaptability in addressing early delays caused by leadership changes and administrative restructuring. The appointment of the Executive and Artistic Directors, as well as the gradual operationalisation of core mechanisms such as monitoring, open calls, and communications, mark important turning points.

Nevertheless, the panel notes with concern the compressed implementation timeline and the number of key tasks still pending at this stage, particularly around contracting, funding finalisation, infrastructure delivery, and meaningful community and European engagement. The commitment from public authorities, including national-level political support, provides a strong foundation, but must now translate into accelerated delivery on all fronts.

Besides the important financial questions still to be resolved — which underline the substantial nature of the commitments laid out in the bidbook, seen as a de facto contract between the City Council and the European Commission — the panel highlights the importance of engaging civil society organisations across economic, social, educational, environmental and institutional spheres, alongside citizens, for both participatory and outreach purposes.

The panel further stresses the relevance of the ECoC legacy beyond 2027 in multiple dimensions, as this was core to the city's selection. In this context, the infrastructure programme takes on particular importance, especially regarding heritage regeneration, as Évora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Finally, the panel wishes to acknowledge the strong and focused efforts of the team and notes with appreciation that Évora 2027 is on the right track.

It is clear that the team is knowledgeable and committed to what needs to be done, which is both reassuring and promising for the road ahead. Prioritising the already started 12 June 2025 European Capitals of Culture 2027 Évora – Second monitoring report team building efforts in terms of skills, knowledge and well-being can build a strong foundation to enhance the implementation efforts. 

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