Nova Gorica–Gorizia, European Capital of Culture 2025

Since its inception in 1985, over 40 cities have won the prestigious European Capital of Culture (ECoC) title. Forty years later, however, the border cities of Nova Gorica in Slovenia and Gorizia in Italy were the first ones to turn this annual celebration of culture into a genuinely cross-border endeavour. Their 2025 ECoC programme explored the concept of borders from multiple dimensions under the slogan “Go! Borderless” and lasted from 8 February to 5 December when the title of European Capital of Culture was handed from Nova Gorica, Gorizia and Chemnitz to the cities of Trenčín (Slovakia) and Oulu (Finland).

Production and coordination

The ECoC was produced by the GO! 2025 – Evropska prestolnica kulture, Nova Gorica Public Institute (shortname: GO! 2025), established by the Nova Gorica Urban Municipality in 2022, and its Italian counterpart GECT GO / EZTS GO, a public institute dedicated to regional development, established in 2021 by the Gorizia, Nova Gorica and Šempeter-Vrtojba municipalities. It managed the Transalpine / Europa Square renovation project and numerous other cross-border projects, funded by the European Regional Development Fund and through Italian national co-financing.

Nova Gorica–Gorizia, European Capital of Culture 2025 light markings Photo Jernej Humar.jpg — Light markings GO!2025

The ECoC's ambitious programme of over 140 events, backed by 40 other municipalities from both countries, kicked off on 8 February 2025. Some events were co-organised with the German town of Chemnitz, another city with the title European Capital of Culture 2025.

Programme

The GO! 2025 programme evolved around four themes: War and Peace, Creating the New, Smugglers, and Very Green. The inaugural performance was directed by Neda Rusjan Bric, the artistic advisor for GO! 2025 and the main local initiator of the bid for the European Capital of Culture.

Other notable projects included Destin(y)ation/Touch of Destiny, a year-long omnibus of international performances directed by Tomi Janežič and co-produced by the Slovene National Theatre Nova Gorica, and the theatrical trilogy Inabili alla Morte, co-produced with the Italian Mittelfest.

The main exhibition project was dedicated to world-renowned Modernist painter Zoran Mušič (1909–2005), who was born in the nearby village of Bukovica. Among the exhibitions, there was also an enhanced edition of the Biennial of Textile Art BIEN exploring contemporary textile art and design, taking place in Nova Gorica, Idrija, Kranj, Jesenice and Škofja Loka.

The 25th edition of the FICE Convention, the largest professional meeting of the Italian film industry, took place in Nova Gorica and Gorizia, organised by the Federazione Italiana Cinema d'Essai.

A cross-border dance ensemble formed and developed under the notion of Borderless Body by MN Dance Company hosted its central event in the post-apocalyptic local quarry.

The programme also featured EPICentre, a unique flagship project devoted to capturing the diverse personal and historical perspectives of life on the border.

From October to December 2024, the enhanced edition of the R.o.R Festival featured a wide range of contemporary, intermedia, and performative art practices by world-renowned artists and scholars.

Venues

The GO! 2025 headquarters offices were situated in the X Centre close to the iconic monument to Edvard Rusjan (1886–1911), a Slovenian flight pioneer.

The European Capital of Culture's urban and symbolic backbone, however, was the so-called ECoC district, a kilometre-long border strip between two former customs houses (see Carinarnica) with the iconic venues such as the Transalpina / Europa Square and the dominant railway station (built in 1906). The EPICenter was housed on the vast premises of a nearby renovated railway warehouse.

The events were also co-produced in collaboration with the existing cultural and educational institutions and will take place in the respective venues (cf. Nova Gorica Arts Centre, France Bevk Public Library Nova Gorica, Goriška Museum (Kromberk Castle and Dobrovo Castle), Nova Gorica City Gallery, Slovene National Theatre Nova Gorica, Arts Academy of the University of Nova Gorica, Carinarnica, etc.).