Six Belgian candidates for European Capital of Culture

Six Belgian towns and cities are in the running to become European Capital of Culture 2030 - Namur, Molenbeek, Ghent, Leuven, Kortrijk and Bruges.

The aim of the competition is to raise the international profile of European cities by highlighting their cultural wealth and diversity.

The designations for the competition are made on a rotating basis between European countries, with a combination each year of older and newer member states, and sometimes an invitation for a non-EU country.

Bruges already held the title in 2002, and other Belgian cities to be awarded the designation are Antwerp (1993), Brussels (2000) and Mons (2015).

The six cities had already announced their intention to apply in August, but the candidacy is now official.

The candidates will present their bids to international experts at the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR), with the finalists to be announced by the president of the jury on 24 October.

The Walloon government has announced that it has decided to support the bid of Namur, which is the only Walloon city in the running, with a sum of €15 million to be released if the project is successful.

Namur’s bid includes numerous collaborations with neighbouring municipalities, as well as with other Walloon cities such as Charleroi and Liège.