The chairperson of the European Capitals of Culture Expert panel announced on 7 December that the city of Évora has been recommended for the European Capital of Culture 2027 title in Portugal.
A panel of independent experts assessing applications from 4 short-listed Portuguese cities recommended Évora following a three-day meeting. Each year, two to three cities hold the title of European Capital of Culture. Alongside Évora, the city of Liepaja in Latvia will also hold the title in 2027.
This is a unique opportunity for a city and its surrounding area to bring culture and Europe right to the heart of their communities. I hope that Évora will reap all the long-term cultural, economic and social benefits that the European Capital of Culture can bring.
Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
“After Lisbon in 1994, Porto in 2001 and Guimarães in 2012, Évora will be the fourth city in Portugal to host the European Capital of Culture title in 2027. This is a unique opportunity for a city and its surrounding area to bring culture and Europe right to the heart of their communities. It is the chance for their inhabitants to discover the rich cultural diversity of our continent, and the common elements we share as Europeans”, said Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.
In accordance with the Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council that governs the European Capitals of Culture action, there will be two European Capitals of Culture in 2027: one in Portugal and one in Latvia.
Regarding the competition in Portugal, the relevant Portuguese authorities invited applications from interested cities in November 2020. Twelve cities submitted applications by the deadline of 23 November 2021: Aveiro, Braga, Coimbra, Évora, Faro, Funchal, Guarda, Leiria, Oeiras, Viana do Castelo, Ponta Delgada and Vila Real.
European Capitals of Culture are an illustration of the EU’s willingness to create a union gathering people around cherished common values, such as freedom of speech, rule of law, democracy and peace.
Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
The pre-selection meeting took place on 8-11 March 2022 and four cities were short-listed: Aveiro, Braga, Évora and Ponta Delgada. They were given until 21 October 2022 to complete their applications. A panel of independent experts examine the applications. 2 of the experts are appointed by the relevant national authorities and the remainder by EU institutions and bodies (European Parliament, Council, Commission and Committee of the Regions).
Vagar implies coexistence, co-evolution, containment, creation and construction, distance (in time and space), memory and collective, but also resilience and tension.
Carlos Pinto de Sá, Mayor of Évora
Évora, the historic capital of the Alentejo region in Southern Portugal, was chosen among the other candidates based on the concept of “Vagar”, reflecting a way of living and a strong element in the region’s intangible heritage and the urgent need for Europe and Europeans to transit to a “slow living philosophy”.
“Vagar is nothing more than the full awareness that, as humans, we are always in relation with the universe – an awareness that challenges our position of dominance. Vagar implies coexistence, co-evolution, containment, creation and construction, distance (in time and space), memory and collective, but also resilience and tension”, said the mayor of the city, Carlos Pinto de Sá.
