2028 European Capitals of Culture: Bourges, Budweiss and Skopje

This December it was announced that Bourges would be the European Capital of Culture in 2028 for France, joining Budweiss for the Czech Republic and Skopje for North Macedonia. 

The jury consisted of 10 independent experts appointed by the European institutions and 2 national experts chosen by the Ministry of Culture. At total of 9 different European countries were represented on the panel.

The concept of the bid Territories of the Future, built around 4 clear and strong key features, intends to “prototype new ways of cultural and city governance which will be genuine game changers for Bourges and [similar] cities” in Europe. Territories of the future are understood as cities “on a human scale, agile, with new forms of governance that can go far beyond simple participation and focus on carbon balance.”

The city of Bourges is supported by 3 other partners – Centre Val de Loire Region, Cher Department and Bourges Plus conurbation – which all together have a population of almost 3 million inhabitants.

The other shortlisted cities were Clermont-Ferrand, Montpellier and Rouen, all with their own programme with a European dimension and with the full involvement of the local community. The city of Bourges will be France’s 5th European capital of culture, after Marseille-Provence (2013), Lille (2004), Avignon (2000) and Paris (1989).

The announcement for the Czech city of Budweis as a European Capital of Culture 2028 was made earlier in the year. Budweis plans on improving cultural infrastructure, transformating of the city's cultural policy, and improving the environment for the development of cultural and creative industries, with an overlap into education or social services. The Czech cities of Prague (2000), Pilsen (2015) and Linz (2009) have also been awarded the title.

Read about the 2028 European Capitals of Culture here