Latvia's third-largest city beat off stiff competition from rivals Daugavpils and Valmiera to secure the nomination of the judging panel.
The city's program includes conferences, discussions, festivals, events, cycle classes, creative residencies, project competitions, concerts, performances, art in the public space, readings, hikes, staged adventures in nature, exhibitions and events in new cultures, brownfield sites and other events.
The competition jury consisted of ten experts selected by the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions, as well as two national experts nominated by the National Council for Culture and the Ministry of Culture.
Representatives of the European Commission and the Ministry of Culture heard the pitches of the three cities on May 9 and 10.
Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: "After Riga in 2014, Liepāja will be the second city in Latvia to receive the title of European Capital of Culture in 2027. The status of European Capital of Culture for the city and the surrounding area is a unique opportunity to give culture a central place and to reveal to its citizens the great diversity of cultural expressions within and outside the European Union."
You can read more about what Liepāja will be offering under the slogan "(un)rest" at the bid's official website: https://www.liepaja2027.lv/eng
Latvia will share the honor in 2027 with a Portuguese city. Aveiro, Braga, Evora and Ponta Delgada have been shortlisted.
🔴🥳🔴🤩🔴 Priecājamies no visas sirds! Tikko starptautiskās žūrijas komisija paziņoja Eiropas kultūras galvaspilsētas 2027 titula ieguvēju un šo godu nesīs Liepājas pilsēta. Vairāk: https://t.co/ojvRF13EiW pic.twitter.com/60Y0knnB50
— Liepāja (@liepajalv) May 10, 2022