
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)
Potries has announced its candidacy for European Capital of Culture for 2031. But it only has a thousand inhabitants: is this a risk or an opportunity?
Architecture and heritage, dance, music and avant-garde performance come together in a unique festival that brings together, each year, choreographic creations inspired by the Camino de Santiago. Works by very heterogeneous choreographers and companies that embrace an artistic breadth that is also, in a way, a space for learning and cultural encounter.
In 2025, Kiruna, European Capital of Culture 2029, will celebrate its 125th anniversary, and they welcome everyone to join us in celebrating this historic milestone.
Coinciding with Creativity and Wellbeing Week (19-25 May 2025), Leeds Arts Health and Wellbeing Network (LAHWN) has launched its new Creative Health in Leeds report. The research was funded by Leeds City Council Culture Programmes Team as part of the legacy planning from LEEDS2023.
Oulu 2026, European Capital of Culture, has announced the First Highlights for the Oulu Music Video Festival: A Never-Before-Seen Brian Eno Documentary, a Performance by Billy Roisz, and a Musical by Chantal Akerman.
Via Po in Turin is preparing for a day of celebration. On 25 May 2025, Turin's historic street will come alive on the occasion of the Feast of Neighbours #VersoTorino2033, celebrating its reopening after redevelopment work. An event that is part of Turin's candidature as European Capital of Culture 2033.
On May 28 will be the final high-level event of two EU co-funded projects—TRACE and ECOTOURS—bringing together stakeholders from across the European tourism ecosystem.
There will be three European capitals of culture in 2030. One will be designated by Cyprus, the other by Belgium, and the third will be chosen between Nikšić (Montenegro) and Lviv (Ukraine). On the short list are three cities for Belgium: Leuven, Molenbeek, and Namur. Larnaka and Lemesos have been shortlisted for the title of European Capital of Culture 2030 in Cyprus.
On the eve of the new programming of the European Capitals of Culture, the debate to improve this programme continues. EcocNews was perhaps the first public space to question the future of the European Capitals of Culture by interviewing cultural managers from all over Europe since 2022, just after the pandemic. And the interviews will continue in the coming months.
We, cultural and media players who benefit from EU funds ask the European Commission and its Creative Europe funding programme, to take the threats caused by the growing power of digital capitalism represented by tech giants into consideration and to take a leading role in tackling them. EcocNews, as an international news and media outlet dealing with culture and Europe, supports and endorses the open letter “Rethinking Digital Practices and Spaces”.
From 5 to 10 May 2025, Materahub kicks off the Europe Week, a series of of cultural and educational events designed to honour the founding values of the European Union. The symbolic heart of the initiative will be Europe Day on 9 May, which this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, the historic proposal presented in 1950 by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman that laid the foundations of European cooperation.
What will happen after 2033, the year in which the current programming cycle for the European Capitals of Culture ends? Under what rules will cities be selected? What criteria will be used?
There will be three European capitals of culture in 2030. One will be designated by Cyprus, the other by Belgium, and the third will be chosen between Nikšić (Montenegro) and Lviv (Ukraine). For all three countries we have entered the shortlist phase and therefore the cities have been working around their cultural projects for some time.
The selection process is under way to award the title of European Capital of Culture for 2030. The countries to nominate the city are Cyprus, Belgium and one of the candidate countries to join the European Union (EFTA/EEA area).
Today, the journalist Michele Serra, in one of Italy's leading newspapers “La Repubblica”, highlighted the urgency of upholding the values of Europe inviting citizens to take the streets for Europe (A”piazza” for Europe was the title of the article).
In Italy, engines are revving up to join the race and gain the title of European Capital of Culture in 2033. To this day, the cities that have decided to enter the competition can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Yet the deadline is quite close. It is true that the Ministry of Culture's call for entries has not yet been published, but it will most likely be published in a year's time.
The word culture has many meanings. One of the many is undoubtedly that of helping humanity protect itself from the upheavals of nature caused by human activity. Climate change is increasingly visible to everyone and all of humanity is dramatically experiencing what it means not to take care of the environment.
In 2031, Malta and Spain will be the countries designating the European Capitals of Culture. For Spain, there are already several candidate cities such as Jerez.