Organised by Culture Next, together with Members of the European Parliament Hélder Sousa Silva, Hannes Heide and Nela Riehl, the Summit will welcome Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, among its distinguished participants.

The event will gather representatives of current, former and candidate European Capitals of Culture, Members of the European Parliament, European Commission officials and leaders of European cultural networks.

Building on the first edition, the Summit aims to strengthen dialogue between cities, cultural organisations and European decision-makers, placing the European Capitals of Culture initiative at the centre of discussions on European cultural policy.

The programme will explore the contribution of culture to democracy, peacebuilding and sustainable development, while encouraging stronger cooperation, shared priorities and long-term partnerships across Europe.

A special moment will mark the symbolic passing of the torch between the European Capitals of Culture of 2026 and 2027. Representatives  of Oulu 2026 and Trenčín 2026, will reflect on their year as European Capitals of Culture and present their legacy plans. Looking ahead, Maria do Céu Ramos, President of Évora 2027, and Inta Šoriņa, CEO of Liepāja 2027, will introduce their programmes for the coming year.

The European Capitals of Culture Summit 2026 will take place on 2 December, at the European Parliament in Brussels, Antall 2Q2.

The agenda and further event details are available here. Registration is now open and available until the 25th of November.