Liepāja 2027

Liepāja 2027
A public sign reading Liepāja 2027
A Liepāja 2027 sign in March 2026
Native name Liepāja – Eiropas kultūras galvaspilsēta 2027
Date2027
Location
TypeEuropean Capital of Culture programme
Theme"(un)rest"
PatronEdgars Rinkēvičs
Organised byLiepāja 2027 Foundation
Websiteliepaja2027.lv/en/

Liepāja 2027 is the cultural programme associated with Liepāja, Latvia, holding the title of European Capital of Culture in 2027. Liepāja and Évora in Portugal are the two European Capitals of Culture designated for that year.[1] The programme extends beyond the city to South Kurzeme Municipality and Kuldīga Municipality.[2]

An international expert panel recommended Liepāja for the title on 10 May 2022 after a final round involving Daugavpils and Valmiera.[3][4] It is the second Latvian city to receive the title, after Riga in 2014.[3]

Selection

Nine Latvian cities entered the first stage of the national competition. Daugavpils, Jūrmala, Liepāja and Valmiera were shortlisted in July 2021; Jūrmala later withdrew, leaving three finalists.[5][3] The panel assessed the bids against criteria covering long-term strategy, European dimension, cultural and artistic content, delivery capacity, public engagement and governance.[6]

Liepāja's bid used the theme "(un)rest". Its programme was organised around five strands: "European Dream", "Port Paradox", "New Eyes", "Deliberate Modesty" and "Creative Foresight".[7] The programme's themes include the city's port identity, the military legacy of Karosta, community participation and environmental change.[8]

Organisation and funding

The programme is implemented by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation in cooperation with the municipalities and cultural partners in Liepāja, South Kurzeme and Kuldīga.[7][2] President Edgars Rinkēvičs became patron of the programme in August 2023.[2] A supervisory council was convened in 2024 to monitor preparations and coordinate participating state and municipal institutions.[9]

Planned expenditure for the programme from 2022 through 2027 was reported at approximately €22.4 million.[10] In July 2024 the Latvian government allocated €10 million in state funding, while the remaining planned financing was expected from European Union funds, other external sources, programme revenue, partners and sponsors.[11]

A baseline study commissioned from the Latvian Academy of Culture was intended to document the existing situation, identify what needed to be developed to achieve the programme's goals, and examine culture's influence on socioeconomic processes, cooperation and public participation.[12] The European Commission's expert panel carried out a second monitoring review in May 2025, covering the programme's cultural content, European dimension, community involvement, governance, financing and impact evaluation.[13]

Programme

By February 2026, organisers were planning more than 500 events. About 60 per cent were expected to take place in Liepāja, with around 20 per cent each in South Kurzeme and Kuldīga municipalities; approximately 30 per cent of programme events were scheduled before 2027.[14]

Opening events were announced for 22 January 2027 in South Kurzeme and Kuldīga municipalities and for 23 January in Liepāja.[14][15] Announced programme elements included a city-wide opening, exhibitions and public-art commissions, projects in former industrial sites, community programmes in Karosta, and events drawing on the cultural heritage of western Latvia.[14]

Among the larger announced events was the 22nd Europa Cantat festival, scheduled for August 2027 with around 3,000 singers.[16] Other announced international projects included collaborations with the French music-research institute IRCAM,[17] and eleven contemporary-art projects selected through an international €640,000 co-financing competition.[18][19]

Public debate and preparation

Preparations also raised practical and political questions. A regional television report identified accommodation capacity and possible price increases as challenges if visitor numbers rise during the title year.[20]

In December 2025, Liepāja City Council approved the commissioning of artist Krišs Salmanis's public work Pūtiens after a debate over its €60,000 cost, the extent of public consultation and the planned manufacture of parts in China. The council also decided that the work would be moved to another location in 2028.[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Designated European Capitals of Culture". European Commission. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "President Edgars Rinkēvičs takes patronage of Liepāja - European Capital of Culture 2027". Chancery of the President of Latvia. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "Liepāja to be the European Capital of Culture 2027 in Latvia". European Commission. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Mellere, Lība (10 May 2022). "Liepāja will be European Capital of Culture 2027". LSM. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "Latvia's Liepaja picked as European Capital of Culture 2027". Baltic News Network. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Selection report: European Capital of Culture 2027, Latvia" (PDF). European Commission. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Liepāja wins the title of European Capital of Culture 2027". Liepāja 2027 Foundation. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Liepāja 2027: creative rest and unrest". LSM. 23 September 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Notikusi projekta "Liepāja 2027" pārraudzības padomes pirmā sēde" [First meeting of the Liepāja 2027 Supervisory Council held] (in Latvian). Ministry of Culture of Latvia. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "Eiropas kultūras galvaspilsētas programmas īstenošanai izsludināts iepirkums par jauniešu izaugsmes pilotprojekta realizāciju" [Procurement announced for a youth development pilot project within the European Capital of Culture programme]. liepajniekiem.lv (in Latvian). LETA. 19 June 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Liepāja gets €10 million from state for Culture Capital program". LSM. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Par 41 000 eiro bāzes pētījumu par "Liepāja 2027" veiks Latvijas Kultūras akadēmija" [Latvian Academy of Culture to conduct a €41,000 baseline study of Liepāja 2027]. liepajniekiem.lv (in Latvian). LETA. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Second monitoring report: European Capital of Culture 2027, Latvia" (PDF). European Commission. 3 June 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 Kilevica, Linda (26 February 2026). ""Liepāja 2027" atklāj pirmās kārtis: dzintara meklēšana, pilsētas simfonija un svētki līdz rītam" [Liepāja 2027 reveals its first cards: amber hunting, a city symphony and celebrations until morning]. Kurzemes Vārds (in Latvian). Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Liepāja 2027 atklāšanā 11 kultūrvietas piedāvās daudzveidīgu pasākumu programmu" [Eleven cultural venues to offer events during the opening of Liepāja 2027] (in Latvian). Ministry of Culture of Latvia. 14 May 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Nākamā gada vasarā Liepājā notiks starptautiskais kormūzikas festivāls Europa Cantat" [International choral festival Europa Cantat to take place in Liepāja next summer]. Diena (in Latvian). 26 February 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Ozola, Inga (25 May 2025). "Liepāja stiprina sadarbību kultūras nozarē ar Franciju" [Liepāja strengthens cultural cooperation with France]. LSM (in Latvian). Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  18. ↑ ""Liepāja 2027" izsludina starptautisku kultūras notikumu konkursu ar 640 000 eiro budžetu" [Liepāja 2027 opens an international cultural-event call with a €640,000 budget]. liepajniekiem.lv (in Latvian). LETA. 10 June 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Kā skan elektroniskā mūzika Liepājas Metalurga rūpnīcā? 2027. gadā gaidāmi 11 starptautiski mākslas projekti" [What does electronic music sound like in the Liepājas Metalurgs factory? Eleven international art projects planned for 2027]. LSM (in Latvian). 18 December 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  20. ↑ TV Kurzeme (30 December 2024). "Liepāja gatavojas kļūt par Eiropas kultūras galvaspilsētu. Lielākais izaicinājums - naktsmāju pieejamība" [Liepāja prepares to become European Capital of Culture; accommodation is the biggest challenge]. LSM (in Latvian). Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "Liepājas dome atbalsta mākslinieka Salmaņa darba "Pūtiens" izveidi, bet 2028. gadā to pārcels citviet" [Liepāja council supports the creation of Salmanis's Pūtiens, but it will be moved elsewhere in 2028]. LSM (in Latvian). 18 December 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
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