Budweis 2028 at the end of EHMK Chemnitz 2025

Photo: Johannes Richter, source: chemnitz2025.de

On the last weekend of November, the České Budějovice 2028 team headed to Chemnitz, where the grand finale of the European Capital of Culture year was celebrated on Saturday, November 28. An incredible 36,000 people arrived in the city center, and despite the late November chill, it was immediately clear that this atmosphere would warm everyone up.
The celebrations lasted all day – and, as is often the case with such successful events, continued merrily into the night. 

On the main stage, Andrea Pier and Stefan Schmidtke, directors of Chemnitz 2025, looked back on the past 315 days. Together with them, Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer and Mayor Sven Schulze also thanked everyone involved. Over the course of the year, the motto "C the Unseen" was transformed into thousands of moments that made Chemnitz a visible and vibrant place on the map of Europe.

And there was much to celebrate—over 2 million visitors and more than 2,000 events in the city and region. The final day was complemented by a traditional miners' parade and Advent carols, which symbolically opened the Christmas season. But the creative energy continues into December—the award-winning Maker Advent project continues to open workshops and studios to the public.

Our team was thrilled to be there. We met with the organizers, reviewed key projects, and are taking home a lot of inspiration and new contacts. 

Our team was thrilled to be there. We met with the organizers, got to know new people, and reviewed key projects. We took home a lot of inspiration and joy.