With "Vagar" as its motto, a concept "deeply rooted in the characteristics of the people of Alentejo and its territory", the Portuguese city Évora is now planning a cultural and artistic offer centred on its heritage and "its people" in order to become European Capital of Culture in 2027.
The Portuguese city of Évora, in the Alentejo region, will be European Capital of Culture in 2027.
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This title will also fall to Liepāja, a Latvian city on the shores of the Baltic Sea, with which it will share the responsibility of hosting what is, for the European Commission Representation in Portugal, (source in Portuguese)"one of the most ambitious cultural projects in Europe".
Évora thus becomes the fourth Portuguese city to be named European Capital of Culture, following Lisbon in 1994, Porto in 2001 and Guimarães in 2012.
The programme for 2027 is not yet known, and is expected to be released at the end of 2026. Last month, however, the Évora 2027 Association, the body responsible for managing this edition, presented the artistic offer planned for the current year (source in Portuguese).
From masterclasses to musical events and film cycles, there are several initiatives that are gradually getting underway, all of them based on the region's very own identity.
Not least because there is a concept that is central to everything that is being thought up within the scope of Évora 2027: that of "Wandering". An expression typical of the imagery and experiences of the Alentejo, which calls for reflection on the need for European citizens to adopt a "slower" philosophy of life, and which serves as a motto for the next Portuguese European Capital of Culture.
In an interview with Euronews, Bruno Fraga Braz, Director of Communications and Outreach for Évora 2027, explained that, based on this very typical way of being in the region, in which taking time to reflect and experience our surroundings is seen as essential, the organisation's intention is to highlight the best that the territory and its people have to offer.
"The heritage is rich and vast, the landscape is unique in European terms. So what we're going to do is create a programme throughout the year [of 2027], and we're working on it, that shows how we've managed to be an event with such deep roots in the Alentejo - working on our rich heritage and artistic heritage, but actually making it truly national and international in scale," said Bruno Fraga Braz.
"This is always based on what European values are," intertwining them with the wanderlust that is so "deeply rooted in the characteristics of the people of Alentejo and their territory," explained the organisation's Director of Communication and Outreach.
This concept, he added, offers "the possibility of reflecting on the way we live our lives, how we relate to time, to each other and to the space around us". Always, in this case, against the backdrop of the "Alentejo cork oak forest, the Alentejo plain", as "a place par excellence for wandering".
According to a note published on the website of (source in Portuguese) the European Commission Representation in Portugal, the European Capitals of Culture have become an occasion to highlight "the role of culture in the development of cities" since 1985, when the initiative was launched.
Its objectives also include "providing Europeans with the opportunity to learn about each other's cultures", but also to "enjoy their shared history and values, experience a sense of belonging to the same European community, strengthen ties and develop European cultural partnerships".
Évora expects over a million visitors by 2027
Bruno Fraga Braz told Euronews that although Évora 2027, as European Capital of Culture, "doesn't have to attract tourists" - only "provide a rich and valuable artistic, cultural and visitor experience" - it is already possible to make some predictions about the estimated impact of this European initiative on the region, based on previous editions held in Portugal.
On the basis of the "hospitality studies" that have been carried out, namely by Turismo do Alentejo, based on the "Portuguese experience of other European Capitals of Culture", it is already known that "during the years" in which they take place, "the number of visitors doubles ".
More specifically, Évora 2027 is also expected to bring twice as many regular visitors to the city, "and to the Alentejo as a whole":"which normally number 600,000 every year and should therefore rise to 1.2 million in 2027."
Bruno Fraga Braz also emphasised that the aim of the Évora 2027 Association is, based on the premises of the upcoming edition, "to provide a new way of experiencing tourism", promoting tourism that is also "slower".
"We want visitors to find in Évora 2027 the reason to stay in the area longer. And do it with time, do it slowly, slowly in the sense of paying attention, paying attention to gastronomy, to what we have to offer in cultural, artistic and heritage terms, and also to its people," explained Bruno Fraga Braz.
The official opening of Évora 2027 is scheduled for 6 February next year.
