The city of Lviv has submitted its final application for the European Capital of Culture 2030 competition. In October, the city will compete for the European Union’s most prestigious title in the field of culture. This was reported to Chytomo by the Institute for Cultural Strategy.
The final application was prepared and submitted by the Institute for Cultural Strategy, with the support of the Lviv City Council and the International Renaissance Foundation.
In addition, during the two rounds of applications (the first in 2024 and the second, final round in 2025), professional support was provided by Robert Palmer, an expert in cultural policy and cultural development of cities, who was formerly the director of two European Capitals of Culture, namely Glasgow in 1990 and Brussels in 2000.
The next stage of the competition will be a visit by representatives of the competition commission to Lviv and the presentation of Lviv’s application in Brussels. In the final stage of the competition, the city will compete with Niksic, Montenegro, participating in a separate category of the competition for cities from countries that are candidates or potential candidates for membership in the European Union.
The winner will be announced on October 21, 2025. If Lviv wins, the city will implement the “Responsibility to Be” program, which became Lviv’s concept in the competition, during 2026-2030, provided that the security situation allows it.
The program aims to reveal the important role of culture as a factor that helps people live and remain human in times of great upheaval. According to the program’s leaders, the idea grew out of the realities of Ukraine in recent years, namely during Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine.
“The program deals with our present: trauma, rehabilitation, memory policies, social cohesion, democracy, and security. It is about Ukrainian culture in a pan-European context, presenting the experiences of our artists and institutions, as well as the participation of world-renowned artists, musicians, writers, and journalists. Winning the competition is important not only for Lviv and Ukraine, but also for the whole of contemporary Europe,” said Yulia Khomchyn, director of the Institute for Cultural Strategy, who led Lviv’s application for the ECoC title.
The cultural and artistic program consists of 25 projects. The main themes of the program are: witness, care, imagine.
“These focuses reveal the cultural practices and approaches of cultural institutions and communities to understanding complex experiences, working with trauma, healing, accessibility, restoration, and strengthening society,” added the program leaders.
The Institute of Cultural Strategy is a municipal institution in Lviv, established in 2018 to coordinate the implementation and monitoring of the Lviv Cultural Development Strategy 2025. Its mission is to strengthen the role of culture in the city, promote the capacity of cultural institutions and the competencies of cultural professionals, and develop policies and tools in this field.
The European Capital of Culture is one of the most famous and successful instruments of EU cultural policy, launched in 1985 to celebrate the cultural wealth and diversity of Europe. Each year, the European Council grants this status to 2-3 EU cities, which implement a wide-ranging program of cultural events throughout the year. The title of European Capital of Culture allows a city to promote itself in other EU countries, attract investment, develop cultural infrastructure, and develop its tourism potential.
In July 2025, the Lviv City Council approved a new Strategy for the Development of Culture in the Lviv City Territorial Community until 2035, which envisions the city as “a European city of living memory, relevant heritage, and new meanings,” and culture as “a force that creates, develops, and transforms the city.”
Source: Chytomo
