GO! Borderless – two cities, one European Capital of Culture 2025
Nova Gorica and Gorizia have become the European epicenter of culture, and we've never experienced anything like this! A crowd of thousands, distinguished guests, a spectacle of light and sound, a borderless parade, and of course – unforgettable fun until the late hours.
On February 8th, Slovenia's cultural holiday, the grand opening of the European Capital of Culture 2025 took place, presented for the first time by two cities from two countries, Nova Gorica in Slovenia and Gorizia in Italy. Two towns on the border of two countries, located right next to each other. The all-day event on both sides of the border was attended by thousands of people. The opening event thus included 14 hours of happenings, from ten in the morning until midnight.
Culture will connect two cities into one, and it will also connect many nations into one European family. The mission of the European Capital of Culture GO! 2025 is to transcend borders, both physical and mental, which is reflected in the slogan GO! Borderless. The project focuses on connecting Nova Gorica and Gorizia, two cities with different historical and cultural backgrounds, to strengthen cooperation between them and promote cross-border living and governance.
The first part of the opening ceremony began in the morning with a parade of cross-border orchestras in front of the train station in Gorizia. They were joined by cross-border police orchestras and led to the city center in Gorizia. From there, the boundless parade with 1,400 performers from local associations, diaspora organizations, and guests from twin cities literally crossed the border and continued its way to the center of Nova Gorica.
The parade of dancers, percussionists, folklorists, musicians, and carnival masks crossed the border crossing between the two countries at 2 PM and handed over the baton to Slovenian sports and cultural-artistic groups.
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On the Slovenian side, the parade consisted of percussionists, musicians, choirs, roller skaters, skateboarders, and dancers, joined by majorettes, circus artists, clowns, acrobats, and cheerleaders. They continued towards the city center, and along the way, they were further joined by folk groups (two Slovenian, Serbian, and one Macedonian), and choirs with approximately 200 singers.
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I admit I didn't expect such a large turnout of visitors; at one moment, the crowd was really large, and the a mass of people was moving towards the city center.
In parallel, also culinary events also took place.
The central opening ceremony took place in Europe Square, which is located partially in Slovenia and partially in Italy. Here, the mayors of both Nova Gorica and Gorizia gave speeches, along with the Slovenian president and the Italian president, and many ministers and other political figures. Due to the small space, only a few selected people could attend this part of the event, but the event was broadcast live to the central square in the city, where we could watch it live on a big screen.
After the official opening, we moved towards the municipal palace, where the central ceremony took place, which attracted the largest crowd of visitors and was the highlight of the event's opening. Entry to the event was through a strict security check of all visitors.
This was an artistic spectacle of light, sound, and movement. For this purpose, a huge stage was set up in front of the municipal palace on the lawn, which was the scene of the event. Many visitors were able to witness exceptional scenography, top artistic performances, and projections on the facades of buildings.
The artistic performances were woven around Toto Cutugno's song "Insieme" (together) and the Soča/Isonzo River as a scene of bloody battles that should not be repeated.
At the central event, the stage was occupied by the highest representatives of Slovenia and Italy, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and transcending borders – both geographical and mental. As the Slovenian prime minister said, "Two Gorizias, one city, many nations, one Europe." Everything merged into a unified voice of the song "Insieme," which echoed across the border and beyond!
The show started with a well-known Slovenian multi-instrumentalist, with the sounds of a replica of a Neanderthal flute (yes, you read that right), the oldest musical instrument in the world, and accompanied by wind orchestras, led us on a journey of a boundless story with the language of art.
The spectacle also intertwined other well-known names working in Slovenian culture. The performance began with the Pro Dance Company, which warmed up the atmosphere well.
An international cast of opera singers followed, joined by the best Slovenian guitarist, Bor Zuljan, who electrified the atmosphere in his style.
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The performance was also given an adrenaline boost by the world-famous Slovenian acrobatic group Dunking Devils, who descended from a nearby skyscraper.
Kurenti also walked across the stage, bringing the announcement of spring from the oldest Slovenian city, Ptuj, to the youngest Slovenian city, Nova Gorica. Kurenti are a traditional Slovenian Carnival mask, which was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. Their characteristic is that they wear sheepskins, masks with horns, and bells that create a distinctive noise.
Finally, the world-renowned DJ and producer Brina Knauss took the stage, who also continued the concert after the end of the official event. People were simply thrilled with her, and I certainly was.
In parallel, other concerts took place at other locations in both cities. DJs DADDY G (Massive Attack) and Andy Smith (Portishead) played, as well as the local band MRFY. The fun continued late into the night, truly something for every taste and everyone.
And this was just the beginning! Over 1000 events await us throughout the year – exhibitions, concerts, digital art workshops, avant-garde festivals, and of course, culinary events. You can read more on the official website or install the official app on your mobile phones, with which you will always be up to date with the events in the city. Nova Gorica and Gorizia are now must-visit destinations!
Thanks for reading,
feel free to leave a comment, I will be glad to reply to.
Best regards, @miljo76
