České Budějovice Celebrates Becoming the European Capital of Culture 2028

01. July 2023

On Friday 30th June, České Budějovice experienced great joy. The International Commission has awarded the title of European Capital of Culture 2028 to České Budějovice. The prestigious title is a great chance to present the cultural environment of the city and the region to the whole of Europe. At the same time, after thirteen years, it is a strong impetus for culture in the whole Czech Republic. České Budějovice and Broumov in East Bohemia competed in the final round.

I am very happy and proud that České Budějovice has become the European Capital of Culture. The award is not only a tribute to our beautiful city, but also the result of a great effort, passion and dedication of our team. We look forward to the next steps, we have a lot of work ahead. It is the result of over two years of hard work by a highly committed team, local politicians and the organisations involved and we are very happy that our city was able to win the title.
— Dagmar Škodová Parmová, the Mayor —

České Budějovice
European Capital of Culture 2028

This prestigious award is seen as a recognition of the unique concept of (PERMA)CULTURE, ambitious plans for the future as well as exceptional involvement of the local community and good networking within the European Union.


The title helps the cultural and economic development of cities and entire regions. In the coming years, České Budějovice will gradually kick off projects to enrich the city and our region. The regional cultural community is going to meet the general public in the autumn. Projects already underway will continue and other projects will be launched for everything to culminate in 2028 when the   attention of the whole of Europe will be focused on us.

I am very pleased that České Budějovice has succeeded in the contest. This success will create many opportunities for the development of our region, and the vision and strategy of the candidacy are respectful to our cultural wealth. Investment in cultural facilities will have a positive effect on the quality of life in the city and in the region. It is essential that the city has sufficient capacity and resources to implement the projects associated with the ECoC title.
— Martin Kuba, the Governor of the South Bohemian Region —

KUL.TURISTA will continue in the city and throughout the region. The city will advertise for a new Director of the Registered Institute Budějovice 2028 and for new positions. There will also be openings for volunteers. The application form is available in English on the website: budejovice2028.cz, with a Czech translation to follow in July.

Fulfilling the vision of the application is a commitment that the whole team is ready to work on. We are convinced that our vision of (PERMA)CULTURE, which emphasizes sustainability and quality of life for the population through art, culture and cultural heritage, is the right direction to follow. I am happy to see that we have been able to connect and work together with the citizens of the city and the region. We are going to continue to work with Broumov where they did a great job in preparing for candidacy.
— Anna Hořejší, Creative Director —
Winning the title is a great achievement and I say thankyou to the whole team for their high commitment and dedication. We look forward to taking the next steps and forging collaborations, and will strive to connect different sectors and industries to achieve truly holistic and sustainable development. We believe that together we can create an environment that is conducive to culture, economy, social chapter and education.
— Zuzana Kudláčková, Deputy Mayor for Culture —

Since 1985, the title of European Capital of Culture has been awarded by the European Union to one or more European cities for one year, giving them the opportunity to present their cultural life and development to Europe throughout the year.

More than 60 European cities, ranging from metropolises to towns of ten thousand people, have been awarded the title of ECoC. Prague (2000), Pilsen (2015) and our partner city Linz (2009) are amongst them.