The book outlines the more than five-year journey taken by the organising team, dividing it up into three phases: winning the title; preparing and implementing the programme; and continuing to pursue European Capital of Culture partnerships after 2024. The book analyses the results and impact achieved, as well as major successes and complex challenges.

Chief editor Hanna Simona Allas describes Tartu 2024 as a joint undertaking of Southern Estonia as a region – and indirectly of Estonia as a whole – that offered a wealth of challenges and lessons learnt, but also remarkable successes. “The creative concept for the year was ‘The Arts of Survival’, and it’s the story of surviving that period of organisation that we’re telling in the book,” she explained. “We hope it inspires other Estonian cities to apply for the title of European Capital of Culture.”

Here are 10 key facts from the book about the European Capital of Culture journey.

1. Tartu 2024 has been the biggest cooperation project ever undertaken in Southern Estonia
Tartu, along with the rest of Southern Estonia – a total of 20 local governments areas, or a quarter of Estonia – shared the title of European Capital of Culture in 2024. More than 4500 cultural creators and volunteers along with hundreds of policymakers and entrepreneurs contributed to the year’s success, making it the biggest collaborative project ever seen in the region.

2. Main programme events notched up more than 1.3 million visits
Around 3100 events were organised as part of the 155 projects comprising the main programme of Tartu 2024, telling the story of ‘The Arts of Survival’. These events recorded over 1.34 million visits, exceeding the organisers’ target by more than a third.

3. The public rated the programme highly: 8.9 on a 10-point scale
Based on feedback, nine out of 10 visitors felt that the European Capital of Culture events were valuable experiences: on average, they were given a rating of 8.9 out of 10. Two out of every three people who took part said that Tartu 2024 was engaging, with almost one in four experiencing such a large-scale event for the first time. Its organisation, overall atmosphere and the surprising venues used were highlighted as being particularly pleasing.

4. Cultural life was given a real boost by more than two thirds of locals attending events
A Norstat survey revealed that as much as 68% of the population of Southern Estonia attended Tartu 2024 events. Among the respondents, 78% noted that the year brought visitors to the region who made use of local services, including catering and accommodation. A further 63% felt that local cultural life had been given a significant boost, while half said that the region’s reputation had improved. Overall, the European Capital of Culture year was viewed as being very positive for the economy of Southern Estonia. More than 50% of those who took the survey mentioned a sense of community and pride in living in the region.

5. Foreign tourists finding their way to Southern Estonia saw a 15% rise in overnight stays
In spite of the difficult economic and geopolitical times, foreign tourists found their way to Southern Estonia for Tartu 2024, with more than 156,000 of them being accommodated in and around the Capital of Culture during the year. The number of overnight stays by foreigners increased by 15% year on year in Tartu itself, and by 14% elsewhere in Southern Estonia. The ongoing impact of the Capital of Culture on foreign tourism is already being seen: in July 2025, the number of foreign visitors to the region was 8% higher than in the same period in 2024.

6. Tartu 2024 garnered international media coverage in 70 countries
Tartu 2024 hosted more than 1200 high-level guests, delegations and politicians and more than 400 foreign journalists during and in the run-up to the Capital of Culture year, which was mentioned more than 5400 times in media publications in 70 different countries. According to a Meltwater study, the monetary value of this extraordinary coverage would amount to more than 133 million euros if content marketing articles or advertising were commissioned.

7. The organisers brought 2.6 million euros of external funding into the region
Tartu 2024 has been largely responsible for international cultural exchange becoming good practice in Southern Estonia. Among the projects in the main programme, 62% were international, their organisers bringing on board more than 850 external partners from Europe and further afield. The project teams received 2.6 million euros from international funds to implement events. A survey of the Southern Estonian cultural sector found that around a fifth of cultural organisers in Tartu consider the year to have had a strong impact on their international activities.

8. More than 3100 events set the standard for environmentally friendly cultural management
The thousands of events forming part of the main programme for the European Capital of Culture year were organised according to a common set of environmentally friendly principles that will continue to be applied to activities supported by the City of Tartu. A survey of cultural organisers revealed that thanks to Tartu 2024, awareness of green cultural practices has increased in the region, and that some organisations have since come up with sustainability action plans of their own. On top of that, the public is also behaving in a more environmentally conscious way. The year has played its part in boosting the separate collection of waste, the use of reusable tableware (cups, plates et al.), the sustainable use of materials and the promotion of environmentally friendly rules to event-goers.

9. The year has spawned a programme for the development of young organisers of culture
The Tartu 2024 Foundation has launched a development programme entitled ‘Tartu 2024 Extended’ for organisers of culture aged 14-19. Almost 100 youngsters have already graduated from the programme, who have gone on to organise 36 youth events attended by around 23,000 people. The programme has enabled young people to learn about the organisation of culture, to establish new relationships with their peers and to feel more closely connected to their local community. This year has seen an international group undertaking the programme for the first time.

10. Projects that started during the Capital of Culture year are continuing
Many of the projects launched as part of Tartu 2024 live on: Ryoji Ikeda’s works showcasing Estonia are moving to galleries and stages around the world, while Mehis Pihla’s play Rahamaa or ‘Business as Usual’ has been translated into five languages, meaning it can only be a matter of time before it is staged abroad. Meanwhile, the films making up the ‘Arts of Survival’ documentary programme examining the specificities of Southern Estonia are gaining recognition at prestigious festivals, Earth Station is preparing a major exhibition for 2027, and the alternative arts festival ‘KAUGE’ continues. These are just some examples of the many Tartu 2024 initiatives whose lives have extended beyond the Capital of Culture year.

The Tartu 2024 Foundation continues to work with nine countries

In 2025, the foundation is leading ‘ECoC Echo’, an international legacy project bringing together nine European Capitals of Culture. Together, they are developing solutions to hone the organisation of culture and boost regional development. The total value of the project is approx. 2.27 million euros, divided up between the nine Capitals of Culture and their 12 partners. Of that amount, Tartu and Southern Estonia have just over 500,000 euros at their disposal. The results will be presented in the French city of Bourges, the 2028 European Capital of Culture.

You can find the book here.

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