Brno wants to be the European Capital of Culture for 2028

Brno - The Department of Culture of the Brno City Council will hire five new employees, whose task will be to prepare Brno's candidacy for the European Capital of Culture for the year 2028. This was stated to journalists today after the council meeting by the Councillor for Culture, Marek Fišer (for the Pirates). According to him, the candidacy is an opportunity for Brno. Cities that have received the title in the past have seen a higher number of visitors. In 2028, it will also be the 100th anniversary of the death of composer Leoš Janáček, who lived and worked in Brno, as well as the 100th anniversary of the Brno Trade Fairs.

One Czech and one French city will receive the award. "From the experiences of other cities that have received the title, it follows that it is good to start preparing about ten years in advance and to create a separate team that will fully dedicate itself to preparing the candidacy," said Fišer.

A new department for conception and development will thus be created within the Department of Culture. It will have a new head, a cultural analysis specialist, two cooperation coordinators, and an economist. The leadership of Brno plans to discuss the candidacy this year and subsequently approve the preparation of the application for the competition, including the allocation of necessary funds. The budget for the preparatory phase for this electoral term is around 30 million crowns.

The European Capital of Culture competition is a project of the European Union, aimed at bringing together the nations of Europe. The award is granted by the Council of Ministers of Culture for a period of one year. The deadline for submitting applications is by the end of 2022. The title was awarded to Prague in 2000 and to Plzeň 15 years later. "Cities that have received the title in the past have not only recorded a high number of visitors in the year of celebrations but also a stable increase in the number of tourists. This affects both the increase in revenues for businesses and the growth of jobs in the region," said Kateřina Gardoňová from the press department of the city council.