Oviedo 2031 Presents to the Capitality Council the Progress Made on the Bid Book and the Narrative of the Candidacy

The team behind the Oviedo 2031 European Capital of Culture bid met yesterday with the Capitality Council at the Calatrava Exhibition and Congress Centre to present the latest progress in the development of the Bid Book and the narrative of the project.

The director of the candidacy, Rodolfo Sánchez, explained that over recent months the team has been working along two complementary lines: the drafting of the Oviedo Cultural Strategic Plan 2025–2035 (PECO) and the development of the project that will be formally submitted on 26 December 2025. The PECO will be approved by the Board of the Municipal Culture Foundation and subsequently ratified by the City Council Plenary.

The general coordinator, Pepe Mompeán, highlighted the importance of strengthening the local cultural fabric, boosting artistic creation and production, and promoting a cultural life that is participatory, accessible and inclusive. He also underscored the need to integrate culture as a driver of sustainable development and to position heritage and landscape as strategic pillars for the city’s future.

The territorial coordinator, Zoe López Mediero, noted that drafting the dossier is a collective challenge and emphasised that participation is a fundamental cultural right, both in its European dimension and at local level. She also stressed the importance of ensuring that the community takes ownership of the project to guarantee its long-term impact.

Joining by videoconference, Antonia Blau, Director of the Goethe-Institut in Madrid and head of the European Dimension of the candidacy, underlined that this perspective is a transversal element of the project and highlighted the need to strengthen Oviedo’s links with other European Capitals of Culture.

The Commissioner for Public Cultural Policies, Jorge Fernández León, praised the consensus reached and the collaborative work undertaken by all the areas involved.

Chus Neira, member of the Capitality Council, presented the main lines of the narrative that will accompany the Bid Book, the full content of which will be made public after the competitive process closes on 26 December.

The artistic director, Natalia Álvarez Simó, outlined the three pillars of the artistic programme, designed to project a contemporary cultural identity that is connected to Europe while remaining deeply rooted in the territory.

The session was attended by representatives from the cultural, academic and social spheres, as well as members of the Capitality Council such as Carlos López-Otín, Pilar Rubiera, Otilia Requejo, Semíramis González, Lucía García and Celestino Varela, who all expressed strong support for the proposal and its direction.