Between 29 November and 5 December 2025, the EPIC District in Nova Gorica and Gorizia will host the closing ceremony of the cross-border European Capital of Culture 2025 Nova Gorica – Gorizia. This final week marks the culmination of a year-long programme and symbolically connects the two cities and communities on both sides of the border.​

Throughout the week, various EPIC District venues will host official, cultural, and social events, highlighting cooperation and creative dialogue—the guiding principles of GO! 2025. The programme includes the ceremonial lighting of the festive decorations, a public discussion, presentations, debates, and the final event with the official handover of the ECoC title, followed by a cross-border celebration. 

DAILY SCHEDULE:

 Saturday, November 29

 Nova Gorica, Gorizia

Ceremonial lighting of the lights on both Goricas and St. Andrew's Fair

The week will begin with the traditional lighting of festive lights and artistic light installations produced and coordinated by the R.o.R institute, which has selected the following participating artists: LuMenArtist, Lumoskop_lab, and NiNABRi©. The event will begin at Europe Square on Saturday, November 29, at 17:30, and will continue at a special edition of the St. Andrew's Fair with local artisans, homemade crafts, and holiday treats. The event sponsors, SENG and HSE, will organize children's workshops and an entertainment program with a DJ starting at 15:00. The lights will symbolically connect the cities and emphasize the ECoC message: culture erases borders.

10:00–13:00 – Pre-Christmas matinee at the EPIC Café

15:00 – The Playground – workshops for children

17:45 – Lighting of the festive lights

20:00 – Boiling Border, Carinarnica, an electronic poetry evening in the smallest club of both countries

  Tuesday, December 2

 EPIC distrikt

GO! 2025: the first impacts of the capital and the next steps for the future of the cross-border area

The event will present a summary of the main communication activities carried out within the GO! 2025 project and the initial results of analyses of the economic and cultural impact of the European Capital of Culture. The next steps in the evaluation process will be presented, with a special focus on citizen involvement, the continuation of analyses, and the future organization of a citizens' assembly dedicated to cross-border heritage. The event will also offer an opportunity for dialogue with institutional partners and other stakeholders from the area.

11.00–16.00 — EPICenter, Nova Gorica: GO! 2025 in numbers: impact and perspectives – conference

A professional conference presenting the first data, impacts and communication results of GO! 2025, with a focus on the Borderless Wireless platform. The event will include analyses, tools and next steps of the project, followed by afternoon testimonies from local stakeholders and cross-border partners.

 Wednesday, December 3

 Nova Gorica, Gorizia

This joyful day of culture

On the anniversary of the birth of Slovenia's greatest poet, France Prešeren, and on the informal Slovenian cultural holiday, visitors will be presented with a diverse range of cultural events that will highlight the wealth of creativity in the region for the last time this year – the official program's film and video production will be screened in the EPICenter hall. The EPIC café will host live discussions with Gregor Božič, Goran Vojnović, Jasmina Cibic, and Marko Peljhan.

  Thursday, December 4

 EPIC distrikt

ECoC after ECoC – public consultation on ECoC heritage

The expert consultation will focus on the question of what remains after the ECoC: infrastructural, social, and cultural effects, new cross-border connections, and the future of cultural institutions in the shared space of both Goricas.​

13:00–14:15 Borderless – exploring the meaning and transformative power of the borderless cultural approach.  

14.20–15.35 A Cross-Border Conurbation – discussing how a strong, sustainable cultural ecosystem can grow across shared regions and communities.

15.45–17.00 How Long Does an ECoC Year Last? – insights on building a legacy and keeping momentum alive.

  Friday, December 5

 Europe Square and EPIC distrikt

Closing ceremony and Borderless Party

The highlight of the festive week will be the closing ceremony with the official handover of the European Capital of Culture title to the next holder. At Europe Square, teams from Nova Gorica, Gorica, and Chemnitz will pass the baton to Trenčín (Slovakia) and Oulu (Finland), which will hold this prestigious title next year. This will be followed by a Borderless Party, which will bring together music, art, and people from both nations for the fourth time in a spirit of friendship, cooperation, and new beginnings; Joining us will be German DJ Fritz Kalkbrenner, Slovenian DJ Nick Nicce, Italian Riki G and Unum Sound and Slovak artist Fallgrapp

17:00 – Light parade 

18:30 – Closing of the European Capital of Culture with the official handover of the ECoC title

The project Borderless Lights with the Illuminated Closing Ceremony is part of the official programme of the European Capital of Culture 2025 Nova Gorica – Gorizia and represents the last of four major cultural-tourism flagship events under the series Let’s Stop the City!