Timisoara, the largest center in western Romania, is also preparing for its year as European Capital of Culture and does so following the motto Light up your city! The slogan is an invitation to travel between light and dark spaces, also tracing the history of the city. Indeed, in 1884 it was the first city in continental Europe to have electric public lighting.
The opening of the first public library and the country’s first cinema screening took place here. And it was precisely from Timisoara, in 1989, that the germ of the revolution started that overthrew the Ceausescu regime.
Currently, the city hosts over 40,000 students in eight universities, a vibrant creative industry, various cultural institutions, and is active in the automotive and IT sectors. The Timisoara 2023 program includes more than 320 events and will involve more than 1,800 artists and cultural operators. The city will also host a major exhibition dedicated to the sculptor Constantin Brancusi.
Veszprem, located in the region of Bakony and Lake Balaton, is one of the oldest cities in Hungary which has already officially inaugurated the calendar of events planned for 2023 with a street festival accompanied by local gastronomy and live music. The programs scheduled throughout the year will be grouped by cultural areas: music, theatre, art, dance, wine and gastronomy. Another important subject is that of the Balaton in order to disseminate and safeguard the history and importance of the largest lake in Europe with its ecosystem and that of the surrounding region.
From Central Europe to the Mediterranean: the third European Capital of Culture 2023 is Eleusis, a Greek city in Attica about 20 km west of Athens. 130 projects and 436 events will be programmed in around thirty places in the city, linked by a red thread, that of the “Mysteries of the transition”, which will cross the classic past of the city to its industrial development and later life in search of redemption. There will be theatrical performances in archaeological sites, concerts, art, and also photographic exhibitions dedicated to the industrial archeology of the region. Everything will follow the objective of reviving Eleusi from its industrial past towards a new life of creativity.
