Charming former Hungarian royal town will be the 2026 European Capital of Culture

On January 1, 2026, Trenčín (in Hungarian: Trencsén) will become the European Capital of Culture. On Friday evening, October 31, a symbolic countdown will be unveiled and launched in a spectacular show called Counting Down to the Future. The central points of the program will be a giant interactive mirror triangle called Zero and multimedia video mapping with a laser show based on folklore motifs.

At 7 p.m., a unique object will be ceremoniously launched in Trenčín’s M. R. Štefánik Park – an interactive audiovisual work entitled Zero by architect Alan Prekop. The evening program will also include an audiovisual experience in the form of video mapping directly on the Váh River by artist Boris Vitázek.

2026 European Capital of Culture

The work entitled “Zero” is no ordinary monument. It is a vertical structure with interactive light and sound elements that responds sensitively to its surroundings while reflecting the city itself. “The object breathes, flashes, and waits. The countdown is not just a function here, but becomes a place where the present meets the future,” explains the author of the work, architect Alan Prekop.

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The visual language of the work plays with the contrast between reflection and disappearance. Mirrored surfaces reflect the city and its details, but at the same time, at certain angles, they allow the object to blend in with its surroundings. Its base is a concrete ring filled with soil and perennials—a gesture symbolizing that culture is not just a decoration of the city, but its foundation. Plants that need time to take root remind us that the values cultivated by culture also mature gradually.

Technology in symbyosis with nature

The countdown clock consists of 24 LED panels onto which video recordings of everyday moments in the life of the city are projected – for example, shop windows opening, boats sailing on the Váh River, or bread being delivered. The video was created by Emma Lea Nikodýmová (camera), Adam Kubala (editing), and Juraj Marikovič (music). The lighting elements are designed with the biodiversity of the city park in mind. The wavelength of light used is gentle on nocturnal insects, birds, and small animals, thus preserving the natural rhythm of nature.

Visitors can also interactively control the object using a QR code, which allows them to change the intensity of the light. When the countdown reaches zero, the object will not disappear, but will instead take on a new function. It will welcome visitors, provide information, and continue to serve the city, no longer as a symbol of anticipation, but as an active part of the cultural year 2026.

Video mapping on the banks of River Vág/Vah

Multimedia artist Boris Vitázek, originally from Trenčín, has created a new work especially for this location – a laser projection with music based on the well-known folk song Trenčín dolinečka. At 7:30 p.m., the program will move to Lodenica near the Fiesta Bridge, where the multimedia show will begin. It is a visual interpretation of a well-known folk song with a gentle, poetic, and melancholic touch. The laser projection, floral motifs, and accompanying music will create a powerful atmosphere that can be perceived from various locations – from the bridge and from the shipyard grounds.

“I was interested in how a traditional motif could be transformed into a form that would be personal and at the same time understandable to everyone. It is not folklore in the classical sense, but a memory. A quiet feeling that we carry within us,” says Vitázek.

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The Transformation of the City Through the Eyes of Artists and Experts
The Counting Down to the Future event connects public space with art and discussion. The program begins at 5 p.m. with a guided tour of the Enchanted Bratislava exhibition by artist Filip Bielek at the FOR MAAT gallery. This will be followed at 5:45 p.m. by a discussion on the transformations and possibilities of urban space, with the participation of Omar Mirza (city curator), Renáta Kaščáková (co-author of the Trenčín si ty zoning plan), and Katarína Onderková (architect, Spolka – creating sustainable cities). The discussion will be moderated by Stanislav Krajči, director of the Trenčín 2026 project.
“We want to open a public discussion about how Trenčín is changing—how its space, identity, and cultural infrastructure are transforming. The year 2026 will be the culmination of a long-term process, which includes meetings with the public like this one,” says Stanislav Krajči.

The evening will end with the .DAT festival

From 8:30 p.m., the program will continue with a paid event organized by the Hviezda Cultural and Creative Center called .DAT – Audiovisual Creation Day. The main star of the evening will be the band Berlin Manson, which will present its unique audiovisual concept prepared especially for .DAT. The visual aspect of the KKC Hviezda space will be handled by lighting designer Sedemminút. The program will be opened by Boris Vitázek with his audiovisual work Narrative Absence.