Oviedo 2031 to Defend Its Bid in Madrid Before the Panel of Experts on 11 March

On 11 March, Oviedo will take a decisive step in its journey towards becoming European Capital of Culture 2031. The bid team will travel to Madrid to present the project to the panel of experts who will decide which cities pass this first selection stage and move forward in the competition. The final decision will be announced at the end of 2026.

The ten members of the team who will defend the project are:

Alfredo Canteli Fernández, Mayor of Oviedo.
Vanesa Gutiérrez González, Regional Minister for Culture of the Principality of Asturias.
Rodolfo Sánchez Farpón, Bid Director.
Natalia Álvarez Simó, Artistic Director of the Bid.
Zoe López Mediero, Territorial Coordinator of the Bid.
Carlos López Otín, Member of the Bid’s Capitality Committee.
Jesús Neira Piñeiro, Member of the Bid Team.
Jorge Avelino Fernández León, Curator of the Bid.
Marta Fernández Silverio, Curator of the Bid.
Antonia Blau, Head of the European Dimension of the Bid.

José Castellano, cultural programmer, will also attend as technical advisor to the bid.

The defence of the project is the result of an intense and coordinated preparation process carried out with the support of national and European specialists. A significant contribution to the team’s preparation was made by Mónica Cofiño, curator of the bid, as well as by European experts Cristina Farinha, Paula Mota and Franco Bianchini. Pepe Mompeán also took part in this preparatory work, collaborating with the international experts in shaping the strategic approach to the presentation.

Over recent months, meetings, working sessions, technical analysis and rehearsals have all focused on one clear goal: to present the jury with a solid, participatory project with a strong transformative ambition for Oviedo and the wider Asturian territory. The bid moves forward with a firm conviction, culture is a driving force for transformation.