Guimarães (Portugal) and Maribor (Slovenia) are the European Capitals of Culture 2012 as from 1 January. However the official programme of events begins on 13 January in Maribor and 21 January in Guimarães. Both cities have a busy calendar of events planned for the year.

From 1 January, the Portuguese city of Guimarães and the Slovenian city of Maribor take over the title of European Capitals of Culture 2012. According to Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, this title is an opportunity to boost a city's long-term development through culture, to increase tourism and jobs.

Since the Council ratified the appointment of cities as European Capitals of Culture for the years 2012, the official launch of Maribor 2012 programme will take place over the weekend of 13-15 January, with activities that include music, theatre and dance performances. Numerous and varied cultural events, combining traditional and innovative approaches, from carnival to contemporary dance, are planned throughout the year. On the other hand, Guimarães will open its festivities on Saturday 21 January with a theatre and multimedia open-air show. Its programme for the year focuses on four themes: City, Community, Thought and Arts.

The European Capital of Culture initiative is funded by the EU Culture Programme and it celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2010. This EU initiative aims to highlight the richness, diversity and shared characteristics of European culture and promote understanding among citizens. The title has a long-term impact, not only on culture but also in social and economic terms, both for the city and for the surrounding region.

Following Guimarães and Maribor in 2012, the future European Capitals of Culture will be Marseille (France) and Košice (Slovakia) in 2013, Umeå (Sweden) and Riga (Latvia) in 2014, and Mons (Belgium) and Plzeň (Czech Republic) in 2015.