It was the only Spanish delegation at the event, which brought together more than 200 cultural activities on 15 and 16 January
LPGC’31 signs a cooperation agreement with the Finnish Association of Spanish Speakers “El Patio” to develop a programme of activities within Finland’s cultural year

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 20 January 2026 – The participation of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria’s candidacy for European Capital of Culture at the Opening of Oulu (Finland), European Capital of Culture 2026, held on 15 and 16 January, has provided a significant strategic boost to the LPGC’31 candidacy, strengthening its international visibility and consolidating its positioning on the European stage.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria was the only Spanish candidate city present at the event, underscoring a firm and active commitment to the European Capitals of Culture project. This presence made it possible to intensify ties with past, present and future cultural capitals, while opening up new avenues of cooperation with European cultural stakeholders and institutions.

During its participation in the Culture Next Lounge – an event promoted by this European platform bringing together cities and regions that are current or former candidates for European Capital of Culture, of which Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is a member – the bid carried out an intensive programme of meetings with cities such as Lublin, Nikšić, Larnaka, Trenčín, Leeuwarden, Novi Sad, Cluj, Bodø, Faro and Kiruna. Exchanges focused on decentralised cultural policies, social cohesion, migration, the activation of peripheral neighbourhoods and the relationship between culture and tourism. These discussions confirmed the strong affinity between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and other European peripheral cities facing shared challenges with an innovative approach rooted in European values.

Spanish–Finnish cooperation agreements

The institutional agenda included a meeting between the LPGC’31 technical office delegation and Spain’s Ambassador to Finland, Manuel Montobbio de Balanzó, activating diplomatic mediation aimed at facilitating joint projects with cultural agents in Oulu and other Finnish cities. As a result, cooperation lines are already being finalised with the local Association of Spanish Speakers in Oulu, “El Patio”, in areas such as film, music and visual arts, to be incorporated into Oulu 2026 programming.

Another key milestone was the official invitation from Trenčín (Slovakia), European Capital of Culture 2026, to attend its opening in February, along with the launch of a specific collaboration in the field of cultural volunteering, a strategic area for the development of LPGC’31.

Learning and positioning

The Oulu experience also had a strong learning and knowledge-transfer dimension. The bid team observed first-hand models of programming, urban activation and citizen participation that will inform the design of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria’s future opening and a city-wide distributed programme.

On the artistic front, the performance by Gran Canaria musician Aniba Liricida at the Culture Next Lounge received an excellent reception and made a decisive contribution to the international visibility of the LPGC’31 bid. This was complemented by the collaboration of the local company Tirma, which supported the installation of a gastronomic display featuring its products at the LPGC’31 stand during the Culture Next cities meeting.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria thus consolidates its profile as a committed, active city ready to assume a relevant role in the European cultural ecosystem and to build a European Capital of Culture project with a real and lasting impact.

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