Lviv has successfully passed the first stage of selection and is now a finalist in the "European Capital of Culture 2030" competition. The city will compete for this prestigious title with Nikšić (Montenegro). The next stage involves finalists refining their applications until summer 2025, after which the jury will make the final decision in the fall of 2025.
This year, Lviv became the first Ukrainian city to participate in such a high-level competition. The application preparation took almost six months, with more than 500 specialists from various fields such as culture, education, history, psychology, media, and others involved. The process included representatives from cultural industries, artists, researchers, and partners from other Ukrainian cities and Poland's Lublin.
Lviv's application theme is "Responsibility to Be." This concept, the result of collaborative work within the cultural community, emphasizes the role of culture in preserving humanity in times of crises and challenges. The program includes platforms for contemporary art, literature, theater, music, urban infrastructure projects, research, and educational initiatives. Special attention is given to trauma work, preserving the memory of the fallen, documenting war crimes, decolonization, and inclusivity.
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The "European Capital of Culture" competition, founded by the European Union in 1985, annually honors cities with outstanding cultural potential. The title not only promotes cultural development but also brings significant economic and social benefits to the winning city.
The next two years will determine Lviv's future in this competition. In the fall of 2025, the European Commission will announce the winner, who will become the fourth cultural capital of Europe among candidate countries after Novi Sad (Serbia, 2022), Bodø (Norway, 2024), and Skopje (North Macedonia, 2028).
