The city of Leuven in Belgium’s Flemish Brabant will carry the title of European Capital of Culture in 2030. The announcement, made by an international jury, on 24 September 2025 follows an ambitious campaign by the city and the East Brabant region under the banner “LOV2030” – a reference to Leuven’s Latin name of Lovanium and, “to love,” the team behind it explained: “Because love is essential to fulfil our mission: by creating radically new connections, we strive together for a better future for Leuven and the entire region.”
The annual European Capital of Culture designation was launched four decades ago in 1985. Host cities are eligible for European Union structural funding and Creative Europe awards. The accolade proved so popular that it was expanded in 2004 to award at least two cities per year with the honour. Leuven shares its 2030 title with Larnaka in Cyprus.
Rolling between European nations yearly, Belgium’s turn to apply saw submissions from the Wallonian capital of Namur and the Brussels district of Sint-Jans-Molenbeek. All three cities congratulated each other on their hard work after the final decision was made public.
While all the bids were done with “passion and professionalism” according to the jury chair, Leuven beat the competition thanks to its wider links with Europe and beyond, its historic university and art schools, and the strength of its local involvement. Over 70 cultural capital projects were already in the pipeline at the time of the final bid, with around 600 more expected.
At the time of the submission, Leuven’s Mayor Mohamed Ridouani, admitted the city was “going all out for the title,” while Alderman for Culture Bert Cornillie said: “With the theme HumanNature, our Leuven bid emphasises two major challenges of our time: polarisation and climate change, and the need to forge radically new connections through culture.”
The fifth Belgian city to take the title, Leuven follows in the footsteps of Antwerp in 1993, Brussels in 2000, Bruges in 2002 and Mons in 2015.
While some Capital of Culture campaigns have cost host cities tens of millions of euros, benefits are said to include urban regeneration, and a surge in visitor numbers and community spirit, with experts claiming that winning cities boost their GDP by 4.5 % compared to runners up – an effect claimed to start two years before launch and lasting more than five years after the title fades, according to European Parliament research.
Commenting on the Flemish Brabant’s city’s success on social media, destination manager Visit Leuven looked forward to international events like “Dance Dance Revolution” as well as “unique local initiatives such as The World’s Smallest Queer Museum.” It also hailed “The Town Hall reopening as a shared space for art, ideas, and action” and went further, insisting that “becoming European Capital of Culture isn’t just about 2030, it’s about the lasting impact: a buzzing destination for visitors, restored heritage, new creative spaces, and so much more.”
