Oviedo’s bid convenes an open meeting with Asturias’ cultural and artistic sector at LABoral Centro de Arte

The bid of Oviedo to become European Capital of Culture 2031 will hold an open meeting on 22 May aimed specifically at Asturias’ cultural and artistic sector. The session will take place at 6:30 pm at LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial and will bring together artists, cultural managers, curators, programmers, gallery owners, collectives and cultural agents from across the region.

The meeting is conceived as a space for dialogue, listening and collective thinking at a decisive moment for the bid, which is now entering the second phase of the European selection process. The deadline for submitting the second bidbook is 3 November 2026, a document that will further develop the cultural, strategic and European dimensions of the Oviedo 2031 project.

During the session, the bid’s artistic co-directors, Paula Mota García and Zoe López Mediero, will present the key elements of this new stage, the recommendations made by the European Commission following the pre-selection phase and the main lines of work that will shape the second dossier.

The event will also include an open conversation and Q&A session with attendees. One of the central aims of the meeting is to reflect on the role of Asturias’ cultural sector within a bid that seeks to be built through the active involvement of the territory and through stronger connections between Asturias and the wider European context.

The European Capital of Culture programme works with a long-term horizon and aims to generate processes capable of transforming the cultural ecosystem, strengthening networks and creating new opportunities for artists, venues and cultural agents.

The evening will conclude with a beer and a DJ session by María Mieres.