Closing time: Chemnitz says bye-bye as Capital of Culture

After 300 days of a packed program, Chemnitz bids farewell as European Capital of Culture 2025. "Over 2,000 events have turned the city into an international magnet," summed up program director Stefan Schmidtke at the closing reception in the Industrial Museum. The aim was to make art and culture accessible to many people. Starting with 72 ideas in the application book, 260 projects were implemented in the end.

According to the information provided, the program is estimated to have attracted more than two million visitors. The offerings ranged from top-class exhibitions, dance, theater and opera, sporting events such as the Capital of Culture Marathon and the European Peace Ride to numerous festivals and concerts. It was a year "full of experiences, emotions, encounters, ideas and pride", said Lord Mayor Sven Schulze (SPD).

Finale with mining parade and rave

A large mining parade with more than 1,000 people wearing traditional costumes was to be held through the city on Saturday afternoon. In the evening, a stage at the Karl Marx Monument entitled "Feierabend!" was also to be used to look back on the Capital of Culture year before DJs took over and turned the street into an open-air dance floor at a rave.

Chemnitz shared the title of Capital of Culture this year with the cities of Nova Gorica (Slovenia) and Gorizia (Italy). Next week, the baton will be handed over to their successors: in 2026, Oulu in Finland and Trenčín in Slovakia will be European Capitals of Culture.