Bourges 2028 European Capital of Culture

In 2028, Bourges will hold the title of European Capital of Culture, a distinction awarded each year to cities that make culture a driving force for influence, sharing and innovation on a European scale. This recognition is based on an ambitious collective project, rooted in the region and open to Europe. Between the origins of this label, the progress of the bid and the projects that are already taking shape, Bourges 2028 is part of a cultural dynamic on a European scale.

What is a European Capital of Culture?

The idea of the European Capitals of Culture dates back to 1985, when the Greek Minister of Culture, Melina Mercouri, wanted to strengthen cultural cooperation between the countries of Europe. The aim of the label is to “highlight the diversity of Europe’s cultural wealth and the links that unite us as Europeans”.

Since its creation, more than 60 European cities have been awarded the title of European Capital of Culture. In France, Paris in 1989, Avignon in 2000, Lille in 2004 and Marseille in 2013 have all held the title.

All these cities can testify to the positive impact of this distinction on the cultural and economic development of their regions and territories.

Being a European Capital of Culture is a real lever for development for local people and regions. The title promotes access to culture, boosts the economy and tourism, improves the city’s image and strengthens the sense of local pride.

A competition in several stages

In January 2023, 4 French cities (Rouen, Clermont-Ferrand, Bourges and Montpellier) competed for the title in 2028. After careful evaluation, Bourges finally won the title of European Capital of Culture.
This designation is the result of a structured, multi-stage selection process conducted over several years.

Candidate cities began building their cultural projects at the end of 2021, before officially submitting their applications to the Ministry of Culture at the beginning of January 2023. The finalists were then shortlisted in anoral phase, and invited to develop their proposals in greater depth in a second application, to be submitted at the beginning of November 2023. The winning city was then announced in December 2023 and now has 4 years to prepare and implement the projects supported by its bid.

Territoire d'avenir: Bourges' innovative approach

The city of Bourges has chosen to defend an original and unexpected concept: that of the Territories of the Future.
In the spirit of the legacy of André Malraux, who saw the cultural potential of Bourges when he built the first Maison de la Culture, the bid is based on new modes of cultural and urban governance.

The Bourges 2028 programme is organised around four major challenges:

Citizen governance, with a council involving local residents and European partners in guiding the project.
A low-carbon approach with more sustainable forms of mobility and attractiveness, taking into account the problems of connectivity between regions due to transport.
A European matrix based on a network of 15 partner cities in the regions, in France and in Europe, sharing common characteristics.
The promotion of cultural rights, in order to strengthen the place of women, equity between audiences and age diversity in access to culture and urban space.

A co-construction project

The Bourges 2028 project is based on a prototyping approach: ideas are not conceived as fixed programmes, but as projects that are tested and enriched by feedback from residents and participants. The aim is to co-createcultural activities with the public, experimenting with formats, methods and initiatives that can evolve over time. With this in mind, 4 major themes have been devised for this artistic programme:

Our Neighbours explores the relationships between territories, inhabitants and the environment, with an emphasis on citizen participation, cities on a human scale, sustainable mobility and new forms of cooperation, with artists as the driving force for change.
The Language of Europe looks at the role of artists in inventing new European narratives in the face of climatic and social challenges, and in spreading messages that promote solutions and links between peoples.

Ici et maintenant places cultural rights and inclusion at the heart of the project, seeking to extend access to culture to all audiences, especially those who are most remote or vulnerable, and rethinking accessibility in the broadest sense.
À taille humaine reaffirms that small and medium-sized towns are true Territories of the future, and form the backbone of Europe.

To bring these key themes to life, the project is inviting all stakeholders – residents, artists, associations and organisations – to make a concrete contribution to the programme by proposing projects through the CRI (Contributions pour Réinventer les Imaginaires).