Oviedo promotes new cultural spaces in neighbourhoods to bring programming closer to citizens
The bid for Oviedo European Capital of Culture 2031 aims to strengthen the presence of culture in neighbourhoods in order to bring cultural programming closer to all citizens. The initiative is part of the strategy outlined in the Strategic Cultural Plan of Oviedo (PECO), approved at the end of last year, which seeks to decentralise the city’s cultural offer.
The plan proposes that neighbourhoods and districts can promote and prioritise their own cultural initiatives, helping cultural programming reach new audiences. Among the proposals are open-air cinema cycles in Ventanielles and literary gatherings in local libraries such as San Lázaro, initiatives designed to integrate culture into everyday life across the city’s neighbourhoods.
This approach builds on experiences already established in Oviedo. Cultural venues such as the Teatro de Pumarín and the Casino de Trubia have demonstrated the value of neighbourhood cultural spaces for the performing arts, contributing to the decentralisation of cultural programming while expanding opportunities for creators and cultural professionals.
The strategy also includes the development and adaptation of new cultural infrastructures in different areas of the city. The renovation of the Palacio de los Deportes de Oviedo will allow sporting activities to coexist with concerts and large-scale cultural events.
The plan also considers the adaptation of the Plaza de Toros de Buenavista, a venue with distinctive architecture and large capacity that could host festivals and major cultural events while respecting its heritage value.
In the Parque de Invierno, the current Palacio de los Niños will be transformed into the future House of the Arts of Oviedo, an innovative cultural facility dedicated to artistic creation that will include rehearsal rooms, recording studios and music training spaces.
Another key project is located at the Fábrica de Armas de La Vega, a site of great heritage value that is planned to become a multidisciplinary cultural centre hosting artist residencies, exhibition spaces for contemporary creation and an audiovisual hub.
In addition, the City Council will promote studies for the possible recovery of spaces in Ciudad Naranco that could host live cultural activities, exhibitions and creative residencies.
Expanding cultural programming across neighbourhoods will increase Oviedo’s cultural capacity and contribute to urban regeneration while creating new hubs of cultural activity throughout the city, strengthening the territorial dimension of Oviedo’s cultural development within the framework of the European Capital of Culture 2031 project.
