On Friday, December 5, Nova Gorica and Gorizia celebrated the year of GO! 2025 and, together with Chemnitz, the ECOC 2025 for Germany, passed the baton to the next two Capitals, Oulu and Trenčín

The 2025 ECoC year was particularly festive, as the European Capitals of Culture (ECOC) were celebrating their 40th anniversary. Since 1985, on the initiative of Melina Mercouri and Jack Lang, European cities have been designated as European Capitals of Culture every year to highlight European cultures and strengthen international cooperation.

Another important point is that this is the first Handover of the ECoC title in a cross-border European Capital of Culture, taking place in two cities simultaneously, in two countries. And if we also consider the co-capital in German Chemnitz, we have together Slovenia, Italy, and Germany. And if we add also the two countries receiving this prestigious title, Slovakia and Finland, we already have a significant part of Europe represented here—a Europe that seeks the interweaving of cultures through mutual cooperation, understanding and peace. 

Originally the official Handover Ceremony was initiated by Esch 2022 ECoC and happening now for the 4th time in a row. 

Already at midday, the mayors Samo Turel (Nova Gorica), Rodolfo Ziberna (Gorizia) and Sven Schulze (Chemnitz) signed a memorandum in which they agreed to continue their cooperation beyond the European Capital of Culture year.

The central highlight of the event at Trg Evrope / Piazza Transalpina was the historic public handover ceremony, co-organized with the current and upcoming European Capitals of Culture: Chemnitz 2025 (Germany) and GO! 2025 (Slovenia and Italy), as well as Oulu 2026 (Finland) and Trenčín 2026 (Slovakia). The ceremony was attended by Marko Rusjan, Secretary of State of Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, Gianmarco Mazzi, Secretary of State of the Italian Ministry of Culture, mayors, and other high-ranking representatives from all four ECOC cities.

A special charm of the event was added by the parade of lights and music, which started from both sides of the border and met at the central event space at the border, at Trg Evrope / Transalpina, along with a crowd of children who sang in farewell to the European Capital. Finally, with great emotion, the song Insieme / Together, which had been the red thread throughout the opening, closed the celebration. The festivities continued late into the night to the sounds of DJ Fritz Kalkbrenner. He had opened the ECOC year in Chemnitz in January and now symbolically closed it.

The Official Handover as well as European history are symbolically embodied by an art sculpture “Unity”, a work by Luxembourgish glass sculptor Pascale Seil. Structure: for power and infinity. Glass: for transparency and lightness. Colours: for diversity and cohesion. UNITY FOR EUROPE.