Trencin and Oulu: The new Capitals of Culture 2026 in focus!

Trencin and Oulu: The new Capitals of Culture 2026 in focus!

The European Capitals of Culture 2026 will be launched in a festive atmosphere and with a wealth of creative events. Trencin in Slovakia and Oulu in Finland are the names of the new cultural model sisters who will take over the titles from Chemnitz and Nova Gorica/Gorizia. This reports BR.

But what makes these two cities so special? Oulu, the northernmost major city in the EU, not only has almost 220,000 inhabitants, but also attracts countless visitors with events such as the annual air guitar world championship and a colorful cultural calendar. The city is famous for its vibrant art scene and numerous events ranging from art exhibitions to culinary experiences.

Cultural highlights in Oulu

The Capital of Culture year in Oulu begins on January 16th with a spectacular opening festival under the motto “Cultural Climate Change”. Over 500 cultural organizations and creative people work on a diverse program that includes exciting winter events such as snow sculptures and light installations.

An additional highlight will be the New Year's performance by the screaming male choir Mieskuoro Huutajat, followed by a colorful hustle and bustle that extends to the Air Guitar World Championships in August. In short, there is a lot for Oulu to celebrate and a lot for tourists to discover.

Trencin, a look back into history

Only two and a half hours from Vienna, Trencin with its historic old town awaits visitors. The city has around 50,000 inhabitants and is famous for its impressive medieval castle. Until now, the region was primarily known as the weapons factory of the Soviet Union, but it has since transformed into an exciting cultural center. The main motto for the Capital of Culture year is “Arouse curiosity”.

A special project is the “Fiesta Bridge”, which is intended to transform a disused railway bridge into a cultural site - with a budget of 10 million euros. In addition, historical sites such as the synagogue are being renovated to make Jewish heritage visible.

A varied program

In Trencin, theater performances on the streets of the city as well as artistic installations that incorporate water bodies will be an experience. The light art festival, like the well-known music festival “Pohoda”, will be integrated into the event calendar in order to encourage the local population to become part of the colorful program under the motto “Living Neighborhoods”.

In summary, the two cultural capitals not only bring a breath of fresh air into the cultural landscape, but also a remarkable range of events and experiences. All the more reason to plan a trip to Trencin or Oulu in the near future.

Every year, two or three cities within the EU or neighboring countries are awarded the title of Capital of Culture to celebrate Europe's cultural diversity. The initiative was launched 40 years ago with Athens as the first cultural capital, like Wikipedia noted.

Culture enthusiasts can look forward to the coming months: it's time to immerse themselves in the world of art and culture, be it in vibrant Oulu or in historic Trencin.