Mayor Pedro Nascimento Cabral attended the opening ceremony of the Aveiro 2024 – Portuguese Capital of Culture program yesterday and expressed his full confidence that Ponta Delgada will also be a “cultural reference” in the country in 2026.
“In two years, Ponta Delgada will be the Portuguese Capital of Culture and a cultural reference in the country. We want to take advantage of this opportunity to project our culture and identity nationally and internationally,” said the mayor at a ceremony where he was accompanied by the Mayor of Aveiro, José Ribau Esteves, and the Mayor of Évora, Carlos Pinto Sá. “The year 2026 will certainly be a year of celebration, promotion, dissemination and training for Ponta Delgada’s artists and cultural agents,” said Pedro Nascimento Cabral. “The Portuguese Capital of Culture project is underway and will consolidate the path developed by Ponta Delgada’s artists and cultural agents, who represent a cultural reference at the national and international level, promoting the municipality to new heights of excellence,” he added.
It’s worth remembering that Ponta Delgada was on the list of four finalist cities vying to organize the European Capital of Culture in 2027, and the team of experts decided on the city of Évora.
The creation of the Portuguese Capital of Culture was announced by the Minister of Culture, Pedro Adão e Silva, at a conference held at the Belém Cultural Center in Lisbon on December 7, 2022.
On that same occasion, Pedro Adão e Silva made it known that the three finalist cities that were not chosen – Aveiro, Braga, and Ponta Delgada – would deserve the title of Portuguese Capital of Culture for the next three years.
Alphabetical order meant that Aveiro would take the title in 2024, Braga in 2025, and Ponta Delgada in 2026.
The mayor clarified that the municipality has not yet signed the protocol to support the Ponta Delgada 2026 – Portuguese Capital of Culture program, which includes funding of 1 million euros under the PO 2030, 500,000 euros from the Ministry of Culture, and 500,000 euros from the Ministry of Economy. A procedure is underway to sign the project’s financing protocol, which also involves funds from the municipality of Ponta Delgada and the Regional Government of the Azores. The protocol will be signed after the regional and legislative elections, according to the municipality.

in Correio dos Açores-Natalino Viveiros, director

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