In 2025 we celebrate 40 years since the initiative European Capital of Culture 

Plovdiv was the 60th city in Europe and the first in Bulgaria to win the title and create a sustainable cultural ecosystem.

Plovdiv was the 60th city in Europe and the first in Bulgaria to win the title and create a sustainable cultural ecosystem.
What began in 1985 as a celebration of the cultural diversity of #Europe has grown into a successful cultural action to regenerate cities. Today, in the city of Chemnitz, Germany, which, together with the cities of Nova Gorica, Slovenia and Gorizia, Italy, has been awarded the ECC 2025 title, a meeting of representatives of all the European Capitals of Culture since the creation of the initiative is taking place to discuss, together with representatives of the European Commission, what the future of the initiative holds. The current programming period is until 2033 and what would be the conditions for application and selection, what would be the ambitions, the objectives and the opportunities, the investments coming with and through the initiative are being decided now.

It is a pleasure and an honour for Plovdiv to have its representatives and voice, experience and ideas heard and contributing at this important moment for the future of Europe, which is still learning and discovering the meaning of being #TOGETHER.