TAMPERE AND TAMPERE REGION ARE APPLYING TO BECOME
EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE
2026
17 pieces of Tampere Region, one common core
Tampere and Tampere Region’s pursuit to become the European Capital of Culture in 2026 starts now!
Capital of Culture application is carried out together as a region. Together with Tampere and the main partner Mänttä-Vilppula, there are already 15 municipalities from Tampere Region applying for the title: Vesilahti, Orivesi, Sastamala, Hämeenkyrö, Parkano, Pälkäne, Lempäälä, Nokia, Ikaalinen, Kangasala, Pirkkala, Valkeakoski, Virrat, Ruovesi and Ylöjärvi.
Come and build the Capital of Culture with us!
Each one of us is a piece of culture
theatre - music - festivals - eSports - virtual reality - the gaming industry - visual arts - films - research - design - sauna - literature - food - parks - poetry - children’s culture - clubbing - rowing - equality - comics - traffic - circus
Culture is expression, intelligence, feeling, connection to others – deep, empathetic communication in the midst of current times. It is people coming together, creating something new, celebrating humanity, and sometimes escaping and laughing at the system.
Capital of Culture - the objectives of our venture
- To permanently improve the quality of life for us and our visitors.
- To remind us and the whole world to care for others more than ourselves.
- To promote touching and human presence in the midst of prevailing digitalisation.
- To express sharing joy, empathy, enjoyment and experiences.
- To increase cultural expression from Tampere and Pirkanmaa and to strengthen our international connections and visibility.
- To elevate the significance, appreciation and impact of cultural contributions from children, youth and adults.
How our project will progress
- 30.3.2019 The opening ceremony of the Capital of Culture project at Tampere’s Hiedanranta
- 2019 – 2020 Discussions, meeting, ideas, workshops, events
- 2020 Submitting the joint application
- 2026 A Finnish city will become a European Capital of Culture