March 10, 2026. That is the date marked on the calendar for Jerez’s candidacy to become the European Capital of Culture 2031. On that day, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Culture in Madrid, the public presentation of its project is scheduled before an international panel of twelve experts in cultural management: two representing the Government of Spain and ten from different countries of the European Union.
Jerez’s bid to become the European Capital of Culture in 2031 is a project born from diversity and participation, and strengthened by the city’s rich cultural heritage. Therefore, in line with this objective, its presentation and defense will also be supported by a diverse team of ten people who, led by the city’s mayor, María José García-Pelayo, and representing the various cultural sectors of the province, will be responsible for detailing the unique characteristics, content, and cultural program of #Jerez2031, in accordance with the candidacy document submitted at the end of December 2025.
In this way, #Jerez2031 will take this opportunity to present a provincial candidacy that has the unanimous support of all the municipalities in the province and whose cultural program, comprised of five strategic lines of programming, is the result of an intensive participatory process that, through forums for ideas and projects, has benefited from the active contribution of dozens of cultural, educational, and heritage stakeholders.
At the same time, Jerez’s bid to become European Capital of Culture promotes a reinterpretation, revision, and strengthening of the values of the European project in order to address, from the perspective of the South and its culture, the concerns and expectations of its citizens and foster a long-term transformation process whose legacy extends beyond 2031.
For all these reasons, Jerez has sought to develop an innovative and far-reaching cultural program, with full participation from cultural sectors and a broad audience, as well as high artistic quality and an international dimension. This proposal precisely addresses each of the 38 questions posed in the bid book.
