Aalborg 2032: The bid is in!
Aalborg Municipality has taken the next major step towards becoming European Capital of Culture 2032. The first-stage bid has now been submitted to the Danish Ministry of Culture, and in November, Aalborg will present their vision to the international panel of experts that will decide which cities advance to the next stage of the competition.
After more than 500 days of preparation, thousands of contributions and an extensive development process, Aalborg Municipality has reached an important milestone in its ambition to become European Capital of Culture in 2032. On Monday, Director of Culture Morten Koppelhus officially submitted Aalborg’s application, known as the bid book, to the Danish Ministry of Culture.
A bid shaped by thousands of contributions
The bid book is the result of an intensive process involving residents, cultural organizations, businesses, associations, volunteers and municipalities from across North Denmark, all of whom have helped shape a vision for how culture can foster communities, drive development and strengthen international connections in the years ahead.
Since Aalborg Municipality announced its ambition in spring 2025 to become Denmark’s candidate for the title of European Capital of Culture 2032, more than 3,000 people from across North Denmark have contributed ideas, perspectives and ambitions to the project. At the same time, 116 concrete project proposals have been submitted for the cultural programme. These have, among other things, been further developed with the support of a broadly composed programme panel with members from across the region.
“This is a big day for us. The bid book marks the culmination of an extensive and ambitious preparation process, to which an incredible number of people have contributed their ideas, knowledge and commitment. We are submitting a bid built on a strong sense of community across North Denmark and on the belief that culture can be a driving force for development, social cohesion and international collaboration. We are now looking forward to presenting our vision to the jury,” says Morten Koppelhus, Director of Culture at Aalborg Municipality.
The title as European Capital of Culture is awarded each year by the EU to selected cities that aim to use art and culture to drive development, strengthen international relations and engage people across generations and backgrounds. In 2032, one Danish and one Bulgarian city will be designated European Capitals of Culture.
The next step: presenting the vision to the jury
The bid now submitted to the Danish Ministry of Culture, is the first step in the selection process. In mid-November, Aalborg Municipality will present its bid book to an EU-appointed panel of experts. The panel will then decide which cities will be pre-selected to advance to the next stage of the competition.
“We are, of course, both proud and delighted to have reached this point. It is an important milestone for Aalborg Municipality and for the whole part of Northern Denmark. The strong engagement we have experienced throughout the process, as well as the broad public support, show that the ambition to become European Capital of Culture has already brought people together across municipal boundaries, sectors and communities. I very much look forward to presenting our bid book to the jury in November and telling the Northern Denmark story of ambition, community and culture. At the same time, we know that there is still a great deal of work ahead of us if we move on to the next round.”
What happens next?
If Aalborg is among the pre-selected cities, work will begin on the second stage of the application process. At this stage, the vision will be developed further in an even more comprehensive and detailed bid book, which will be submitted and presented to the jury in autumn 2027. The final winner of the title of Danish European Capital of Culture 2032 is expected to be selected later that year.
For Aalborg, however, the ambition is about more than the title itself. The aim is to use culture as a catalyst for development, communities and international collaboration throughout North Jutland, creating a lasting impact before, during and after 2032.
Stay tuned
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