From Friday, Timisoara will be in the spotlight with an exceptional program prepared to mark the debut of the European Capital of Culture, which will include concerts, exhibitions, debates, projections, shows of light, color and movement that will enliven all areas of the city.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to show the whole world the potential of Timişoara, which becomes a major international cultural scene for one year,” reports the Timișoara City Hall.

Friday is the day Timisoara will make history, starting at 19:00 when TM2023 opens in Uniri Square with a show that will take the public through all the stages of the performing arts. It will be a celebration for the whole community, which will once again show that the people of Timisoara are hospitable hosts and valuable members of the European family.

Access to events in central markets is free. Public transport is also free, during the entire weekend of February 17-19.

From 1:00 p.m., the opening of a special philatelic show on the theme “Timişoara – European Capital of Culture” will be held at the Banat Philharmonic with the participation of President’s advisor Sergiu Nistor and a representative of the Ministry of Culture.

From 15:00, the exhibition “Chronic Desire – Sete Cronică” is scheduled to open at Garnizoana on Piaţa Libertăţii, and from 16:00 the exhibition “Victor Brauner: Inventions and Magic” will be opened at the National Museum of Art.

From 16:45, the gala ceremony “Timisoara – European Capital of Culture” will start in the Palace of Culture, and from 19:00 the performances will take place in Piaţa Unirii.

More than 100 high-ranking officials from 41 countries will be present in Timisoara during the official opening of the European Capital of Culture.

The Royal House of Romania will be represented by Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, and His Royal Highness the Prince of Romania to the Council, and European Commissioner Adina Valian will present the city with the European Commission’s “Melina Mercuri” award, which is awarded to European capitals of culture.

Prime Minister Nicolae Cuke will also visit Timisoara on Friday to take part in the official opening of the Timisoara 2023 European Capital of Culture program at the Palace of Culture.

Up to 16,000 Timişoara residents and visitors are expected to attend the Opening Celebration event at Piaţa Unirii.

For the first time in Timișoara, hearing-impaired people in the hall will be able to benefit from the artistic interpretation of concerts at Piaţa Unirii. On Friday, from 19:25 to 22:00, Lavinia Citsu, one of the few concert interpreters in Romanian sign language, will be on stage with the artists, translating the words and reproducing the rhythm of the music so that people with hearing impairments can enjoy an unforgettable show.

During all three days of the opening, from 10:00 to 17:00, there will be an exciting XR Show Spotlight Heritage Timişoara, which will offer tours of the Experimentarium (Universitatea Politehnică Timişoara) that include physics demonstrations and chemistry experiments that bring science closer.

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