"Residents’ and visitors’ active participation is a common thread through the Esch2022 programme. To begin with, the opening ceremony, the REMIX Opening, is set to be one of the biggest participatory events ever held in the border region. All participants, old and young, will be at the heart of the celebrations and will be encouraged to shape the opening of the European Capital of Culture in their own personal way through immersive and interactive experiences. Visitors should remember the opening with a sense of accomplishment - the feeling of having created something together," said Nancy Braun, General Director of Esch2022.

Between 17:30 and 23:00 on Saturday 26 February, the centre of Esch-Alzette and the university district of Esch-Belval will transform into an immersive festival and a world of its own with live music, DJ sets, movement workshops, light and video installations, architectural projections, and a variety of live performances for the REMIX Opening. There will be 4 stages and 18 concerts featuring artists from Luxembourg, France, the Greater Region as well as performers from the two other cities bearing the title European Capital of Culture in 2022, Kaunas in Lithuania and Novi Sad in Serbia. There will be something for all musical tastes. At the Rockhal, the participating musicians of the Future Frequencies workshop under the direction of Frank Wiedemann and Matthew Herbert will present the "Sound of Europe" at two concerts.

Emblematic for the transformation of the Minett region - from the land of the red earth, an industrial region, to an important centre for research, innovation, and technology – the centre of Esch will transform into a space rocket centre and Esch-Belval into a virtual rocket launch base on 26 February. The fundamental message of the REMIX Opening event is to, through Esch2022’s key themes participation and co-creation, invite residents and visitors of all ages from the participating municipalities, the Greater Region and Europe to share their individual creativity at the opening ceremony and beyond. Through active participation and the power of co-creation, we should be able to produce the momentum needed to launch the greatest adventure in the history of the region.

Based on the profile assigned to each visitor when reserving their free ticket, they will be given tasks that, together with other visitors, will become a real mission. A short questionnaire on the event's website allows the organisers to get to know the participants better, quickly identify their respective profiles and design a personalised path for the REMIX Opening. Each of the four profiles, "Iron Furnace", "River Alzette", "New Horizons" and "Red Earth", is unique and represents a specific character type, holds certain values, and reflects a special connection to the Esch2022 region. Ultimately, the aim is to playfully encourage participation in the special Esch2022 opening ceremony.

"Iron Furnace" honours the fire and energy of the blast furnaces. It includes passionate people who inspire others, make them laugh and move, and encourage them to excel.
“River Alzette" refers to the flowing waters of the Alzette. This profile brings loyal and caring people, whose lives are rich and diverse, together.
“New Horizons" evokes curiosity, desire, and the ability to innovate. It suits people who are inventive, creative, continuously want to become better versions of themselves, love adventure and strive for innovation.
"Red Earth" refers to the Red Earth of the region and reminds us of our industrial past. It suits stable, down-to-earth people who learn from their past experiences.
The opening ceremony will take place from 17:30 to 23:00 in the centre of Esch and Esch-Belval under the 2G+ system. The official opening ceremony will take place from 17:30 to 18:30 in front of the Esch Town Hall. Visitors with a ticket for Esch-City and Esch-Belval will have the possibility to travel between the two places (by train or shuttle). To get there, visitors can use public transportation or the special Park & Ride shuttle buses.

Furthermore, the Esch2022 REMIX opening is a hybrid event that can be experienced online from all around the world. The online audience is not only going to be able to watch, but they will also be able to interact with the event and influence the outcome through interactive participation. Though it is common for opening ceremonies to be broadcast live, Esch2022's plan to make the event as interactive and captivating for the virtual audience as possible is completely new.

The European Capital of Culture, along with the 19 participating municipalities in Luxembourg and France, 200,000 inhabitants and more than 122 different nationalities is to become a cultural inspiration in Europe in 2022. There will be 2,000 events including concerts, exhibitions, participatory workshops, guided tours, conferences, readings, competitions, street theatre and performances across all cultural disciplines and genres. The first major exhibitions open on 27 February with "HACKING IDENTITY - DANCING DIVERSITY" in collaboration with ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe in the Möllerei (Esch-Belval) and "REMIXING INDUSTRIAL PASTS" in collaboration with Tokonoma and 2F Architettura together with the University of Luxembourg (C²DH) in the Massenoire (Esch-Belval).