European Capitals of Culture 2027: Évora and Liepāja, what is confirmed so far

• Two cities, one title year
• Évora: slow living in Alentejo
• Liepāja: “(un)rest” on the Baltic coast
• What may interest young visitors
• Getting there and planning
• Key points

⇑Two cities, one title year

The European Commission names two European Capitals of Culture for 2027: Évora in Portugal, recommended by an expert panel on 7 December 2022, and Liepāja in Latvia. Évora will be the fourth Portuguese city to hold the title. Both programmes are still being completed, so this article separates confirmed facts from open questions.

⇑Évora: slow living in Alentejo

Évora’s concept is “Vagar”, which the Commission describes as a way of living and part of the region’s intangible heritage, linked to a philosophy of slow living. According to a news item published by the city on 1 April 2026, the official opening is scheduled for 6 February 2027, and the final programme is due to be presented on 18 November. The item does not state the year of that presentation, so check the city’s portal for the programme before you plan a trip.

Offers aimed specifically at students in Évora could not be confirmed from official pages at the time of writing, so none are listed here.

⇑Liepāja: “(un)rest” on the Baltic coast

Liepāja’s programme is titled “(un)rest”. The organisers’ news item of 25 February 2026 describes more than 500 events, about 60% of them in Liepāja and the rest in the Kuldīga and South Kurzeme regions. The official website lists an opening weekend from 22 to 24 January 2027 with free entry. The opening concert “Wind Symphony” takes place on 23 January 2027 at 21:00 in the Great Amber concert hall, and tickets are sold separately.

⇑What may interest young visitors

Neither city has published a dedicated student ticket scheme in the sources we checked. These items from the Liepāja organisers are the most relevant for young people:

• Opening weekend: free entry from 22 to 24 January 2027.
• Europa Cantat 2027: a European choral event in Liepāja from 9 to 15 August 2027. Registration opened on 26 October 2026.
• Theatre in Close-Up: an international theatre festival whose programme includes free events for the public.
• Summer school for artists: planned in the regions and named after the writer Zenta Mauriņa. Dates and eligibility were not given in the source.
• Ambassadors programme: the website has a section for people who want to become Liepāja 2027 ambassadors.
• Exhibitions and stage works: a solo exhibition by the Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota and the Lithuanian opera “Sun & Sea” are among the announced highlights.

⇑Getting there and planning

The Liepāja 2027 website describes the city as the only Latvian city besides Rīga that can be reached by land, air and sea, and it links to travel guides for car, train, bus, ferry, plane and yacht. For Évora, official travel information was not confirmed in the sources used here, so the city’s portal is the place to look.

Entry rules depend on your nationality and on where you start your journey. Check the official visa and border pages of Portugal or Latvia before you book. Our guide to travelling in Europe covers travel documents, border checks, trains, buses and passenger rights. If you study at a university that takes part in Erasmus+, our overview of Erasmus+ opportunities explains the study and traineeship options abroad.

Dates can change, and programmes are still being added. Treat the official websites of the two cities as the final word, especially for ticket sales and registration deadlines.

⇑Key points

Évora (Portugal) and Liepāja (Latvia) hold the European Capital of Culture title in 2027. Liepāja’s opening weekend is 22 to 24 January 2027 with free entry, and Évora’s official opening is scheduled for 6 February 2027. Évora’s final programme was announced for 18 November, while Liepāja’s organisers already list more than 500 events, including Europa Cantat from 9 to 15 August 2027. Check both official websites before booking travel or tickets.