Oviedo to present its bid for European Capital of Culture in early March

Oviedo will travel to Madrid in the first week of March to present its bid to become European Capital of Culture 2031, competing with Burgos, Cáceres, Granada, Jerez de la Frontera, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Palma, Potries and Toledo, the other Spanish cities shortlisted for the title, which Spain will share with Malta in 2031.

The city is one of the nine candidates announced by Spain’s Ministry of Culture, all of which must pass this first selection stage. Following the presentations before the international panel of experts, the Ministry will announce later in March which cities move on to the final phase of the process.

The evaluation will be carried out by an independent committee of twelve experts, ten of them international specialists appointed by the European institutions involved in the European Capital of Culture programme, along with two experts appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. The panel will assess the quality of each cultural project, its European dimension, its long-term impact and the level of citizen involvement.

The European Capital of Culture is a European Union initiative launched in 1985 to highlight the continent’s cultural diversity, promote intercultural dialogue and strengthen the role of culture as a driver of social and economic development. Since its creation, more than 60 European cities have held the title, including Madrid (1992), Santiago de Compostela (2000), Salamanca (2002) and San Sebastián (2016).

The selection process begins six years in advance, with the formal designation taking place four years before the title year. For Oviedo, presenting its bid at this stage represents a key milestone in the Oviedo European Capital of Culture 2031 project and an important step in strengthening the city’s European cultural profile.