Córdoba shapes its 2027 Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue programme around sustainability and citizen participation
8-9 July 2026, Córdoba, Spain. Córdoba is shaping its 2027 programme as Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue around two priorities: long-term sustainability and citizen engagement, according to discussions held during a two-day working visit by the Advisory Committee of the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue (MCCD) programme.
The delegation, which included Ayman Elsherbiny of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and Alessandro Lamonica of the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF), was accompanied throughout by Juan Miguel Moreno Calderón, Commissioner for Córdoba 2027. Córdoba was designated a Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue for 2027 alongside Saida, Lebanon, following endorsement by UfM Foreign Ministers at the 10th UfM Regional Forum in Barcelona in November 2025.
Meeting the delegation, Córdoba’s Mayor, José María Bellido, said the 2027 programme is being developed together with a broad range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations and the city’s residents. The two designated cities plan to continue exchanging visits in the lead-up to 2027, alongside regular online contact.
The visit also included meetings with Adolfo Molina Rascón, Government Delegate for the Regional Government of Andalusia in Córdoba, who confirmed the region’s continued support for the programme, as well as with the city council team leading Córdoba 2027 and the wider network of institutions collaborating on it: the regional government of Andalusia, the provincial council, universities, arts education centres, and private sector foundations working on corporate social responsibility.
Discussions centred on how the title’s benefits can be sustained beyond 2027, and on ensuring citizens are involved both in shaping the programme and in benefiting from it. The Euro-Mediterranean dimension of the initiative also featured prominently, with cooperation between Córdoba and Saida, and with other cities across the Euro-Mediterranean region, identified as a shared priority.
As part of the programme, the delegation visited cultural and heritage sites including the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba and Casa Árabe, along with other venues expected to host events during the 2027 programme.
Córdoba is expected to announce further details in the coming months, including the official presentation and inaugural event of its Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue programme.
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