On Tuesday, 10May, an international jury of independent experts will conclude the evaluationof the finalists of the European Capital of Culture 2027 competition andannounce the winner of the European Capital of Culture 2027 title in Latvia ata media event.
The media eventwill take place at 16.00 at the Latvian National Library. The announcement ofthe winner will also be available on the Ministry of Culture’s website km.gov.lv and on Facebook.
Three Latviancities – Daugavpils, Liepāja and Valmiera – are running in the final round ofthe competition. All three cities were visited by a jury delegation – BeatriceGarcia from Spain, Hrvoje Laurenta from Croatia and the two Latvian nationalexperts – Diāna Čivle and Ģirts Majors, as well as representatives of the European Commission (EC) and the Ministry of Culture as observers – during the week from 2 May to 6 May.
On 9 and 10 May, the full jury will hear and interview delegations from all three cities. The applicationsfor the final round are assessed against the following sets of criteria:contribution to long-term strategy, European dimension, cultural and artisticcontent, delivery capacity, public engagement and governance.
The jury is apanel of ten experts selected by the European Parliament (EP), the Council ofEurope, the EC and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), as well as twonational experts nominated by the National Council for Culture and the Ministryof Culture.
Nine Latvian cities – Cēsis, Daugavpils, Jelgava, Jēkabpils, Jūrmala, Kuldīga, Liepāja, Ogre, Valmiera and Jelgava – submitted their applications for the title of European Capital of Culture 2027 in the first round of the competition.
After three days of online presentations in early July 2021, an international and independent panel of experts nominated Daugavpils, Jūrmala, Liepaja and Valmiera for further participation in the competition.
In autumn 2021, however, Jūrmala announced its withdrawal from the competition. This year, one of the three Latvian cities nominated for the final will earn the status of European Capital of Culture for Latvia for the second time. In 2008, Riga, Cēsis, Jūrmala and Liepāja submitted applications for the European Capital ofCulture 2014 selection.
Riga, Liepāja and Cēsis were selected for the second round. The 2014 European Capital of Culture was awarded to two cities – Riga, the capital of Latvia, and Umeå, Sweden.
The European Capital of Culture title has been awarded annually since 1985 only to one cityin each of the two Member States of the European Union, according to a specific calendar. This calendar envisages that in 2027 the title of European Capital ofCulture will be awarded to two Member States, Latvia and Portugal.
Each of thesetwo countries will select one city to be awarded the title of European Capitalof Culture on the basis of the recommendations set out in the selection reportof an international and independent jury, and will notify the award to the EP, the EU Council, the EC and the CoR at the latest four years before the year ofthe European Capital of Culture title.
The two newlyselected European Capitals of Culture will also be eligible for the €1.5million Melina Mercouri Prize.
The Supervisory Board’s purpose is to oversee the project’s content, financial utilization, and achieved results, as well as to facilitate cooperation between municipalities, state institutions, and other stakeholders.
Launching the month of Liepāja’s 400th anniversary celebration, the Liepāja Holy Trinity Cathedral on Saturday, 1 March 2025, at 17:00 will host a sacred music concert, “Caur gaismu nāk un sudrabs top” (Through Light Cometh Silver Shine). This event brings under single musical umbrella newly composed works by Liepāja-spirited composers Ēriks Ešenvalds, Jānis Lūsēns, and Andris Kontauts, paired with samples from the cathedral’s historical sheet music collection, creating a harmonious bridge between past and present.
This competition was launched to inspire the creation of an innovative and artistically refined environmental object that integrates seamlessly into Liepaja’s urban landscape.