THANK YOU ALL!

​It is with great sadness that the Municipality of Faro and Faro2027 inform that they are not continuing in the race to become European Capital of Culture 2027. Faro was not one of the cities selected by the European Union jury for the second phase of the competition. The Municipality of Faro congratulates the cities of Aveiro, Braga, Évora and Ponta Delgada for moving on to the next stage.
​“We did our best and we thank the thousands of people who built this candidacy with us. We always said that the most important thing was not winning the title, but the process. The application process was essential for us to look at the municipality and the region in a very participatory way. We know that we have built a relevant and quality application. The result obtained does not mean that we will stop. The path has begun, we must continue to work” : said Rogério Bacalhau, Mayor of Faro, who was present at the press conference where the European jury announced the finalists.

Although the outcome was not the one desired by the Municipality of Faro and by the entities co-producing the candidacy, the topics dealt with in the candidacy continue to deserve the attention of local and regional public entities. We remind you that the Faro2027 application process involved the direct participation of more than 3000 people from across the Algarve region. Artists, children, young people, entrepreneurs, mayors, unemployed, retired, international experts, professors, foreign residents and tourists were consulted and presented ideas for the region.
Based on the ideas gathered, the Candidature Bidbook presented various themes such as water, multiculturalism, climate change and tourist massification. The Candidacy Bidbook also presented proposals for the establishment of better links with Europe in the field of culture and sustainability. It is important to emphasize the regional involvement and cooperation throughout this process, recognizing the role of the University of the Algarve, the Algarve Tourism Region, CCDR Algarve, the Regional Directorate for Culture of the Algarve, IPDJ Algarve, and in particular all the Municipalities of the Algarve, and of many organizations and cultural and social agents in the region that supported this project from the start.

​“We cannot ignore all the work developed, the energy generated, or the issues raised by the people who participated in the process. There are projects that are already underway and that we intend to continue to pursue, such as the rehabilitation of the Fábrica da Cerveja, the Cultural Kilometer or the Gastronomic Embassy. Faro also assumed commitments within the scope of the creative roof terraces project. We are leaders of the European Creative Rooftop Network (ECRN) which brings together 9 cities, in a project funded by the Creative Europe program worth €4M over 4 years. The Faro Convention and the initiatives planned under it, such as the announced International Conferences or the MI.MOMO.FARO project, will continue to be developed, as will other projects that we will announce in due course, with all our commitment”: says Rogério Bacalhau.

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