Online newspaper based in Matera
EcocNews is registered at the Court of Matera in the press register n. 2/2021
Editor in chief: Mariateresa Cascino. Founder and editorial director: Serafino Paternoster
via San Francesco, 1 - 75100 Matera (Italy)
Capitals
Capitals
Évora 2027, 34 projects selected from across Europe
Press Release
Martedì, 21 Aprile 2026
Évora_27 with 34 projects selected through the international open call “O Nosso Laboratório / Our Lab” of €2M. Selected applications bring together projects by artists and associations from 19 countries
Matera 2019, Cultural Heritage: Greece and Italy join forces
Press Release
Martedì, 21 Aprile 2026
The M.A.R.K.A.T.O. project . – Maintaining And Revitalizing Knowledge And Traditional Occupations - was presented some days ago, at HubOut in Matera. It is a cross-border cooperation initiative funded by the Interreg VI-A Greece–Italy Programme 2021–2027 and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), under Specific Objective RSO4.6 dedicated to culture and sustainable tourism.
Go 2025 and Chemnitz 2025 fly to Skopje
Luigi Paternoster
Lunedì, 20 Aprile 2026
An institutional delegation comprising representatives of the 2025 European Capitals of Culture – including the Mayor of Gorizia, Rodolfo Ziberna; the Mayor of Nova Gorica, Samo Turel; the director of ECoC projects in Chemnitz, Josephine Hage – took part in a day of meetings and institutional activities in Skopje in recent days, with the aim of sharing the results achieved and making expertise and experience available to support Skopje’s bid for the title of European Capital of Culture 2028.
Chemnitz 2025, Josephine Hage will be the new director
Editorial staff
Venerdì, 27 Marzo 2026
At its extraordinary meeting on 25 March, the Supervisory Board of Kulturhauptstadt Europas Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH unanimously appointed Josephine Hage as the new Managing Director with effect from 1 October 2026.
Turin 2033, Artists and citizens are writing the bid dossier
Luigi Paternoster
Mercoledì, 25 Marzo 2026
In 2033, following the successful experience of Matera 2019, it will once again be Italy’s turn to designate the European Capital of Culture. The call for applications from the Italian Ministry of Culture has not yet been published and, in all likelihood and in keeping with tradition, is expected to be released six years in advance, meaning sometime between the end of this year and the middle of next year.
Matera 2026, a manifesto for Euro-Mediterranean citizenship
Editorial staff
Lunedì, 23 Marzo 2026
With an opening ceremony attended by European Commissioners Raffaele Fitto and Dubravka ŠUICA, the city of Matera – which was European Capital of Culture in 2019 – is preparing to spend a year as the Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue.
UK City of Culture 2029, Nine cities in shortlist
Serafino Paternoster
Venerdì, 20 Marzo 2026
Nine places across the UK have been longlisted to be the next UK City of Culture in 2029 and will each benefit from a funding boost to support their bid for the title.
Matera 2026, The opening ceremony is ready to begin
Editorial staff
Mercoledì, 18 Marzo 2026
The opening ceremony for Matera, Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2026 – a title the Italian city shares with the Moroccan city of Tetouan – will take place tomorrow, 20 March, to coincide with International Happiness Day. The event will be divided into four parts, stretching from the city centre to the ancient heart of the Sassi districts.
Denmark 2032, six cities are interested to become ECoC
Luigi Paternoster
Martedì, 10 Febbraio 2026
The competition between cities hoping to win the title of European Capital of Culture in 2032 is now in full flow in Denmark. This will be the third time: the first time was Copenhagen in 1996, the second Aarhus in 2017.
In 2032, Denmark will share the title with a city in Bulgaria.
Évora 2027 supports Cáceres 2031
Press release
Lunedì, 12 Gennaio 2026
The bid for Cáceres 2031 has received the formal support of the Portuguese city of Évora to become European Capital of Culture. This support represents a significant boost from the city that already holds this title for 2027.
Matera and Tétouan, first official meeting towards 2026
Press Release
Mercoledì, 17 Dicembre 2025
The first official meeting between the Moroccan city and Matera, designated Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue 2026 as part of the initiative promoted by the Union for the Mediterranean and the Anna Lindh Foundation, took place on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 December in Tétouan.
Larnaca will be the European Capital of Culture in 2030 for Cyprus
Serafino Paternoster
Giovedì, 11 Dicembre 2025
Larnaca will be the European Capital of Culture in 2030 for Cyprus. This was announced by the European Commission's evaluation panel during a press conference that ended a few minutes ago.
Podgorica will be 2028 European Youth Capital
Luigi Paternoster
Martedì, 02 Dicembre 2025
The capital city of Podgorica was officially declared the European Youth Capital 2028 in the last days. This prestigious title is one of the most significant European recognitions in the field of youth policies, awarded to cities that demonstrate exceptional commitment to young people, their development, participation, and the creation of inclusive urban policies.
Saida and Cordoba nominated Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue for 2027
Luigi Paternoster
Lunedì, 01 Dicembre 2025
The coastal city of Saida, capital of the South Lebanon governorate, and the Spanish city of Cordoba have been designated as the two Mediterranean capitals of culture and dialogue for 2027, a decision approved by the foreign ministers of the 43 member countries of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) during its annual forum in Barcelona on November 28th.
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Nikšić 2030, Cultural Exchange with Maribor 2012
Editorial staff
Martedì, 25 Novembre 2025
The President of the Municipality of Nikšić, Marko Kovačević, hosted a reception for Suzana Žilič Fišer, a longtime member of the European Commission’s Panel of Experts and former director of the Maribor Institute — European Capital of Culture 2012.
Tampere and Dubrovnik selected as 2026 European Capitals of Smart Tourism
Press releases
Lunedì, 24 Novembre 2025
Tampere (Finland) and Dubrovnik (Croatia) have been selected as the winners of the EU’s 2026 European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism competitions, following a European Jury meeting held in Brussels on 18-19 November 2025.
Trenčín 2026, the programme presented in Brussels
Press release
Lunedì, 10 Novembre 2025
In 2026, the cities of Trenčín, Slovakia and Oulu, Finland will jointly hold the title of European Capital of Culture. On Tuesday, November 4, the two cities presented their title-year programmes together at the Council of the European Union in Brussels.
Malta 2031, Victoria will be the European Capital of Culture
Editorial staff
Martedì, 04 Novembre 2025
Victoria will be Malta's European Capital of Culture in 2031. (Maybe). It will share the title with one of the 12 Spanish cities that have decided to apply.