Burgos, Cáceres, Granada, Jerez de la Frontera, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Oviedo, Palma, Potries and Toledo are in the running for the candidacy, with the shortlist and finalists to be announced next March by the Ministry of Culture itself.

Spain and Malta will host the European Capitals of Culture in 2031. For Malta, it seems certain that the European Capital of Culture will be the city of Victoria, as it is the only city on the shortlist, which is a unique and rare case.

Since the European Commission launched this initiative in 1985, more than 60 European cities have received this recognition. For Spain, it will be the fifth time after Madrid (1992), Santiago de Compostela (2000), Salamanca (2002) and San Sebastián (2016).

To become European Capital of Culture, cities must pass an initial selection phase. The finalists will be announced in March, while the winning city will be revealed in December 2026.

The selection process will be conducted in all its phases by a committee composed of ten international experts, appointed by the European institutions involved in the European Capital of Culture programme, and two Spanish experts appointed by the Ministry of Culture. The composition of this committee will be announced in the coming weeks.