The European Capitals of Culture (ECOC) initiative is among the most widely known actions of the European Union. The cities receive financial support from the Creative Europe programme. In 2026, a Finnish city will become a European Capital of Culture. The three candidate cities are Oulu, Savonlinna and Tampere.
The name of the European Capital of Culture will be announced on 2 June 2021 when the panel meets in Helsinki. The selection event can be followed from here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS2nd0wuJ0c