More than 500 events planned in the Liepāja 2027 programme

On Wednesday, 4 February, the fifth meeting of the Liepāja 2027 Supervisory Board took place at the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, where key issues regarding the progress, achievements and next steps of the European Capital of Culture programme were discussed.

The year 2025 was an important preparation phase for Liepāja 2027, strengthening partnerships, developing programme content and laying the foundation for the implementation of a wide range of events in the coming years. Particular attention was paid to project development, international cooperation, and ensuring transport infrastructure and accessibility to Liepāja and the surrounding regions.

Forty-five per cent of all programme events are projects created by core partners, 15% are projects developed as a result of open calls, and 40% are projects produced by Liepāja 2027. A wide variety of events will be implemented throughout the region, with approximately 60% taking place in Liepāja, around 20% in the South Kurzeme Region, and approximately 20% in the Kuldīga Municipality. Thirty per cent of events will take place before 2027, while 70% will be held in 2027.

In 2027, the busiest months of the programme will be the summer months — June, July and August. It is planned that approximately 46% of events will attract between 1,000 and 5,000 visitors, around 17.5% will attract between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors, approximately 12.5% will attract 10,000 or more visitors, while the remaining events will host up to 1,000 visitors.

Transport and mobility issues were discussed during the Supervisory Board meeting to ensure convenient and sustainable access to events for both local residents and visitors from Latvia and abroad. Targeted international communication activities are also continuing, strengthening the visibility of Liepāja and the region within the European cultural space and fostering long-term cooperation.

The Supervisory Board reviewed current budget expenditure and future financial plans, emphasising responsible, transparent and purposeful use of resources.
The first public preview of the Liepāja 2027 programme will take place on 25 February this year during a specially organised event, where the first programme events and its main highlights will be presented to the public.

At the end of the day, representatives of Liepāja 2027 also met with the patron of Liepāja 2027 — President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs — to discuss the current status.

As previously reported, in 2022 Liepāja was awarded the title of European Capital of Culture 2027. In the final stage of the European Capital of Culture 2027 competition, three Latvian cities competed — Daugavpils, Liepāja and Valmiera.

The title of European Capital of Culture has been awarded annually since 1985. Each year, it is granted to no more than one city in each of two European Union Member States, according to a predefined rotation schedule. This schedule stipulates that in 2027 the title of European Capital of Culture will be awarded to two Member States — Latvia and Portugal.

Each of the two selected countries nominates one city to receive the European Capital of Culture title, based on the recommendations set out in the selection report prepared by an international and independent panel of experts. The decision is announced to the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions no later than four years before the title year.

Both newly selected European Capitals of Culture will also compete, subject to the panel’s evaluation, for the Melina Mercouri Prize, a financial award of €1.5 million.