bundeskanzleramt.gv.at
ECoC 2024 in Austria
Experience and remarks by the Austrian Federal Chancellery (Coordinator) bundeskanzleramt.gv.at
ECoC 2024
Selection process in Austria
ECOC – Slovakia 2026: Information Day 17 January 2020, Bratislava bundeskanzleramt.gv.at
12 November 2019: Bad Ischl – Salzkammergut will be ECoC 2024 in Austria
• Final announcement: https://youtu.be/NvMcHkl18iI?t=908
• Reaction in Bad Ischl: https://youtu.be/Ha_jdVm64Do?t=7
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More than three years ago…
• After Graz 2003 and Linz 2009… who would be interested?
• Every city in Austria with more than 10.000 inhabitants
• 85 cities invited to participate
• 17 cities at the first information event
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European trend from bigger cities… … to smaller towns and their regions
• Graz: ≈295.000 inhabitants
• Linz: ≈207.000 inhabitants
• Bad Ischl: ≈14.000 inhabitants
• Bad Ischl + Salzkammergut: ≈102.000 inhabitants
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Strengthen the competition…
• The Federal Chancellery conducted a workshop series for interested cities from September 2016 until June 2018
• Outcome: capacity building, peer-learning, networking
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… towards a fair and friendly rivalry
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Time-table of ECoC Selection 2024 in Austria
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Three bidding cities: Dornbirn, Bad Ischl, St. Pölten
Three strong bidbooks in the first round (pre-selection)
All three cities got invited into the second round (selection) Linz St. Pölten Bad Ischl
Dornbirn Graz
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European trend towards smaller budgets?
in € Million
Graz 2003
Linz 2009
Rijeka 2020
Novi Sad 2021
Timișoara 2021
Elefsina 2021
Esch 2022
Kaunas 2022
Veszprém 2023
Bad Ischl 2024
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Authenticity and Creativity
It is not (only) about…
• … the highest number of inhabitants…
• ... the biggest banc account...
• … the strongest press coverage…
• … the number of cultural institutions…
• … the strongest political support when starting…
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Authenticity and Creativity
Be authentic, be creative:
find the European story in your town and tell us who you want to be in 2026 and beyond!
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Thank you very much!
Kathrin Kneissel & Meena Lang Federal Chancellery European and international cultural policy