Nova Gorica prepared its candidacy for the ECoC 2025 in collaboration with cross-border Gorizia. The candidature slogan is Go! Borderless.

The city of Nova Gorica candidacy for the ECoC 2025 was the result of its cross-border cooperation with neighbouring Gorizia; their goal also involves elements of urban – to be like one city, but with different cultures. The city of Nova Gorica has announced that in 2025, they are planning more than 600 cultural events and more than 60 projects with different partners. Within the framework of the projects, the city is bringing together 251 partners from Slovenia and 34 other countries.

In 2025, Nova Gorica and Gorizia will be the first capital in the world located in two countries.

From the very beginning Nova Gorica decided to include the neighbouring Gorizia in the ECoC bid. The urban area on the border is so tightly connected that any project concerning just one of the cities would make no sense. Our ECoC is not about interpreting borders or about seeking connections and cooperation between separated urban and social entities in two different countries. It is not just another border bid. It is a project of a common area. Yet one currently divided by an administrative and legislative frontier.

The acronym GO is/was used as a registration plate for cars in both cities, it is a short name for Nova Gorica and Gorizia and at the same time it is used as an English verb GO! to encourage somebody to act.

Affirmation. Bettering. Collaboration. This is the ABC of their common cultural future.

They need Affirmation, because culture remains invisible for many segments of the population and the Goriška region is still barely visible on the European cultural map. Bettering is a never-ending process. Both cities intend to upgrade their cultural infrastructure. Collaboration would be their tendon. Unnecessary quarrels, and a disinterest in other people’s creative work, which creates mutual disrespect, are their favorite apples of discord.

Other cities candidate in short list was Ljubljana, Piran-Pirano4Istria2025 and Ptuj.

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