Thank you to everyone who participated, contributed, and showed understanding …
The City of Aalborg’s Department of Culture, together with Kulturkanten, hosted a major cultural inspiration day at Nordkraft on 26 February 2026 for more than 300 guests. The theme was Aalborg’s candidacy to become the host of the European Capital of Culture.
The final surge of energy was sent out from the stage by the local heavy band Danefæ. Participants down in the audience had their hair blown back, and perhaps the impressions from the day settled even deeper with that ending.
On 26 February, the Department of Culture in Aalborg Municipality brought together more than 300 guests representing Aalborg’s and North Jutland’s cultural and business communities, artists from various art forms, cultural and other associations, advisory councils, tourist destinations, cultural schools, politicians, and more, for a conference on Aalborg’s candidacy to become a European Capital of Culture in 2032.
The occasion marked a kind of culmination of an autumn and winter spent on the road across North Jutland, sharing stories, inspiring others, acting as hype people, and gathering impressions and input for the AA32 project.
At Nordkraft that day, things kicked off sharply from the stage, as Louise Bak Kongsholm from the PEJ Group delivered a fast-paced talk on future buzzwords.
Later, the communications agency Det Nye Sort took the stage with North Jutland buzzwords from the present and inspiration on what Aalborg and North Jutland can actually offer Europe culturally – based on extensive data collection.
A sharp panel debate, moderated by Birgitte Sonne from Nordjyske, asked participants Lasse Frimand Jensen, Mayor of Aalborg Municipality; Jan Nymark Rose Thaysen, Councillor for Climate, Culture and Health in Aalborg Municipality; Anne Svejgaard Lund, director and founder of Dune Productions; Lasse Andersson, Director of Kunsten – Museum of Modern Art; and Allan Mørch, CEO and founder of AskCody, to look ten years ahead in the crystal ball. Their input fueled enthusiasm for the afternoon workshops.
Participants then spread out across four workshops, with a choice between:
- Legacy – a presentation on what it means to be a European Capital of Culture, drawing on experiences from, among others, Aarhus 2017.
- The world around us – Creative Europe and the North Denmark EU Office presented and inspired participants on how to collaborate, apply for funding, and project Aalborg and North Jutland across Europe.
- Building blocks – a workshop exploring possible themes for the cultural capital and how culture can make society a better place.
- The ideas – a pure brainstorm focused on cultural ideas for the programme.
We, in the Department of Culture, are very pleased with the large turnout throughout the entire conference day and with the strong engagement shown during the event.