Novi Sad also European Capital of Culture in 2022

Novi Sad, Serbia is joining the 2022 ECoC sister cities Esch and Kaunas

Novi Sad will be also European Capital of Culture in 2022! Due to the current health crisis, the European Parliament and Council have decided to postpone the title-year for Novi Sad, Serbia, from 2021 to 2022. Thus, Novi Sad, the second largest city in Serbia, will share the title of European Capital of Culture 2022 with its twin cities Esch and Kaunas, the second largest city in Lithuania. 

With the European Capital of Culture just around the corner, Novi Sad is working harder than ever to carry out its vision of ‘The Beginning of New. Now!’ New cultural venues are being created, innovative programmes designed in order to attract a diverse audience are being launched and new cultural processes around a common theme, the ‘4 New Bridges’, are being developed.

The Beginning of New. Now! 

In order to realise its vision, Novi Sad has already gone beyond the framework set in strategic, programme and production terms. The results obtained have already put the city way ahead. In 2019, the cultural institutions of Novi Sad created and adopted a 5-year strategic cultural plan, making Novi Sad a unique city in the region with its long-term cultural development strategy.  

During the year of the health crisis, in 2020, the European Capital of Culture Novi Sad launched projects that made it possible to stream their cultural events online, resulting in more than half a million views of various artistic events – concerts, exhibitions, book nights, performances, etc. The network of cultural stations, a unique model for culture in Novi Sad, with 8 new and renovated spaces intended for cultural events in all parts of the city, was also presented to citizens of Novi Sad. The European Capital of Culture initiated the reconstruction, construction and development of 40,000 square metres of spaces for culture in Novi Sad and its surroundings. ‘Visit Novi Sad’, a unique platform for culture, was launched to present the finest assets of the city and its specific multicultural nature. 

Novi Sad 2022 thrives on the idea of ‘4 New Bridges’ 

Bridges have always played an important part in Novi Sad’s history. In the project, bridges are used to connect people, programmes and places, which are crucial in making a positive impact on the City’s cultural identity. Four programme bridges – ‘Love’, ‘Hope’, ‘Freedom’ and ‘Rainbow’ – are divided into 8 different programme arches within the project (‘Doček’, ‘Second Europe’, ‘Migrations’, ‘The Fortress of Peace’, ‘The Future of Europe’, ‘Heroines’, ‘Danube Sea’ and ‘The Kaleidoscope of Culture’) that are the basis of the 2022 programme. 

Explore Novi Sad 2022 – the city where culture is a way of life!