
Liepāja welcomes the international jury of the European Capital of Culture 2027 competition

Thank you to all those local residents and the more than 740 partners who have been with us since the beginning of the European Capital of Culture 2027 competition.
The International Jury arrived in Liepāja today, on May 3rd, to meet the application team, the people of Liepāja and the regions, and we had to showcase the best of what we have and to present first-hand our potential to carry the title of European Capital of Culture 2027.
Today we have been given 8 hours to demonstrate the vast potential of the Kurzeme region – we have created the day’s programme so that the jury members can get to see and feel the paradoxes of Liepāja, and the special added value offer of the regions.
We feel grateful for the opportunity to be considered for this title, because all this preliminary work has already helped to improve not only our strategic processes, but also the very practical everyday interaction between institutions and residents.
Not only have we established close cooperation with cultural, educational and social players at local and national level, but we also have a broad cooperation with international partners, not only from Europe.
Within the framework of the Liepāja (un)rest concept, an extensive five-line programme has been created, representing a variety of genres, to address key issues that are relevant for both Liepāja and Europe as a whole.
Each of the five programme lines – “European Dream”, “Port Paradox”, “New Eyes”, “Deliberate Modesty” and “Creative Foresight” – reveals a story closely linked to Liepāja and its ties with Europe.We keep fingers crossed for Valmiera and Daugavpils to have a successful jury visit and wish all us the best in presenting the diversity of each city’s opportunities and programme.
The European Capital of Culture 2027 Bid Day will take place on May 9th at the National Library of Latvia, where all three candidate cities will defend their bid in front of the international jury.
The outcome of the European Capital of Culture 2027 competition will be announced on May 10th.


Inviting to a seminar on EU funding opportunities for cultural and social projects
This seminar is designed for municipalities, cultural organizations, and civil society representatives interested in learning about EU programs “Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values” (CERV) and “Creative Europe” (RE) and their funding opportunities for social and cultural projects.

Contemporary Art Exhibition “Concerns. Crazy Days” at the Liepāja Peter’s Market (Pētertirgus)
The exhibition will run until the end of May, gathering a selection of established and emerging artists from Liepāja and Latvia, who will reflect on pressing contemporary issues while spotlighting the potential of unconventional venues in the city as platforms for contemporary art.