PHOTOS: Veszprėm was handed over the European Capital of Culture 2023 title in Athens

On the 9th of January, a significant event unfolded—the inaugural European Capital of Culture Handover Ceremony, where the “City of Queens”, Veszprém was bestowed the prestigious title of European Capital of Culture 2023, along with Timişoara (Romania) and Elefsina (Greece).

The ECoC programme was founded over 30 years ago by the celebrated Greek singer and former Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri. The aim of the initiative of the EU’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture is to showcase the cultural richness and diversity of European cities. Furthermore, it seeks to spur growth and development by supporting regional projects and attracting tourism. The picturesque historic city of Veszprém had diligently strived for years to secure this coveted title, and now, it is finally realising its dream.

The organisers of ECoC 2023 could not have selected a more appropriate venue to host the high-profile event than the Acropolis Museum in the cradle of culture, Athens. The event was presided over by Margaritis Schinas, Vice President of the European Commission who briefly introduced the new ECoC title-holders and praised the rich and long-standing spa culture of Veszprém and its surrounding region in his opening speech. Following Mr Schinas’ words of welcome, outgoing ECoC cities from 2022—Esch/Alzette (Luxembourg), Kaunas (Lithuania), and Novi Sad (Serbia)—reflected on the significant progress achieved in the past year, thanks to the opportunities afforded by the ECoC programme.

Ms Friderika Mike, Director of Programme Development of Veszprém-Balaton PLC, took the stage to discuss the significance of the prestigious title for Veszprém. She emphasised the collaborative efforts of the Bakony-Balaton region and 115 municipalities working towards cultural leadership. Ms Mike acknowledged the challenges faced by rural settlements due to the pandemic, limited initiatives and the Hungarian countryside’s general oversight by international tourism. She stressed that a city’s future relies on the resilience of its surrounding region and that the countryside’s future is shaped by the economic and cultural growth of regional centres.

Ms Mike then proceeded to introduce the motto of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023: Shine!

“From the beginning, we set the ambitious goal of becoming the first creative rural region in Hungary and to find the definition of creativity in the rural setting that could be implemented not only in the Hungarian but maybe also in the European countryside.”

The ECoC 2023 title, she explained, serves as a cultural scholarship, offering the chance to represent themselves to Europe and gain recognition. It provides recipients with lifelong experiences, shaping positive changes not only immediately but also in the coming decades. She pressed that the ECoC title is not just a goal to achieve but most importantly a tool to shape the future of its holders, the three new cities of this year.

The Veszprém-Balaton Programme 2023, under the slogan Shine!, fosters a dialogue among citizens, artists, social workers, wine producers, and farmers, forming a cohesive local family. This year, they are to host a wide range of exciting cultural events in the fields of art, music and cinema. Having received the UNESCO City of Music title in 2019, Veszprém has been a hub for artistic initiatives, attracting a diverse audience. In 2023, the InterUrban project, starting parallel to the Grand Opening on 20 January, will showcase melodies, flavours and talents from 29 cities and 25 countries, changing every two weeks. Visitors can attend concerts, writer’s workshops, film screenings and photo exhibitions while enjoying the enchanting rustic atmosphere of the Hungarian countryside. The first city to be featured in the series is Kaunas, Lithuania from 16-29 January; followed by Ghent, Belgium - 30 January – 12 February, London, Canada from 13-26 February and so on. You can learn more about the programme schedule of the Shine! opening event (21-22 January) HERE and see the annual programme offerings HERE. Or download the FREE APP, which will make it easier to keep track of the nearly 3,000 programme offerings.

Following Ms Mike’s speech, Mr Erik Haupt, Hungarian Ambassador to Greece, discussed the unique opportunities Veszprém will encounter as ECoC 2023 and highlighted the importance of solidifying the winners’ position as cultural leaders. The audience welcomed teams from the other two cities, Timişoara and Elefsina. The supreme moment of the event saw representatives of Veszprém and the two other towns receiving their trophies and departing with words of good wishes for their important journeys.

We are excited to see what this year holds for the Veszprém-Balaton region and to report on the upcoming events of this new European Capital of Culture. Congratulations, Veszprém, on this remarkable achievement!