The city of Bourges designated European Capital of Culture 2028

The Cher prefecture becomes the fifth French city to benefit from this title.

This is a coveted title. The city of Bourges (Cher) was designated, Wednesday December 13, European Capital of Culture 2028, after a tough competition. Bourges was in the running with three other French cities to obtain this prestigious European label, synonymous with significant economic and tourist benefits: Montpellier (Hérault), Rouen (Seine-Maritime) and Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme). The city will share its title with other cities of the Old Continent. The Czech city of České Budějovice and Skopje, in North Macedonia, have already obtained this label for 2028.

Bourges, location of the first house of culture in France, defended in its file a European capital of culture “at Human scale”, according to its mayor Yann Galut. The elected official wishes to create a European City of Artists and Authors, a place of resources serving artists and players in the cultural industry. It’s a “tremendous honor”reacted the elected PS of Bourges, present at the Ministry of Culture for this announcement greeted by cries of joy. “In this candidacy, we were somewhat the little thumb in front of the metropolises, we tried to offer another vision and another way of experiencing our European capital of culture”he declared again, highlighting a “candidate for sobriety”.

“A medium-sized city that focuses on culture”

“Choose Bourgesunderlined for her part the Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak, it is supporting the challenge of a medium-sized city which focuses on culture for its human, social and economic development and which aims to make a real place for all audiences“.

Four French cities have been designated in the past as European Capitals of Culture, an initiative launched at the initiative of the Greek and French ministers, Melina Mercouri and Jack Lang: Paris in 1989, Avignon in 2000, Lille in 2004 and Marseille in 2013 This system makes it possible to designate, for a period of one year, a host city responsible for organizing a program of cultural events and implementing ambitious cultural projects. In 2013, the city of Marseille took advantage of this event to inaugurate the Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean (Mucem), which has become an emblematic place in Marseille.