In Netherlands, as in Italy, only a handful of cities have announced their intention to compete to become European Capital of Culture in 2033.

The fourteenth Culture Next conference will be held in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, European Capital of Culture in 2018. It is focused on the theme “Cultural Participation” and gathers representatives from 50 European cities and their young representatives (aged 18–27), together with local artists and cultural organizations from Leeuwarden.