Macastre and Torrevieja Named Valencian Cultural Capitals 2025
Two vrey different municipalities - a Mediterranean city and a small inland town – will lead a year of decentralized, sustainable and participatory culture across the Valencian Community.
Swift summary
- Event: Capital Cultural Valenciana 2025 designation by the Generalitat Valenciana.
- Selected towns: Torrevieja (large municipalities category) and Macastre (small municipalities category).
- Goals: Decentralize culture, boost participation, promote sustainability and celebrate cultural diversity.
What is the Capital Cultural Valenciana program?
The program, created by the Conselleria de Cultura of the Generalitat valenciana, highlights municipal cultural dynamism and supports projects that expand cultural activity throughout the region.It distinguishes two categories of towns:
- Municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants
- Municipalities with up to 5,000 inhabitants
Selected capitals receive technical and financial support and join a collaborative network with past and future capitals to share resources and best practices.
Torrevieja 2025: Mediterranean culture on stage
From salt flats and beaches to cultural leadership
Located in Alicante province and known for its saltworks and coastal attractions, Torrevieja has strengthened its cultural identity in recent years. For 2025,the city presents a program built around four main pillars:
- Universal access: programs for all ages and audiences.
- Decentralization: cultural activity beyond the center-into neighborhoods and alternative venues.
- Sustainability: green and sustainable cultural policies across projects.
- International and intercultural exchange: programming that engages Torrevieja’s diverse population.
Venues and planned activity
Torrevieja will leverage existing infrastructure - Teatro Municipal, Auditorio internacional, the Museum of the sea and Salt, and the Centro Cultural Virgen del Carmen – to host concerts, opera, exhibitions, film cycles, children’s programs and inclusion projects across 2025.
Macastre 2025: rural creativity and living memory
A small town with a big cultural project
Macastre,in the Hoya de Buñol-Chiva region,has under 1,500 residents and is being recognized for a highly participatory and cooperative cultural model. The municipality’s proposal, called “Macastre Trama Viva,” is framed on three core ideas:
- Collaborative cultural networks: active involvement of local associations and volunteers.
- Territory and memory: recover the town’s history, traditions and communal memory.
- Art and nature: promote artistic creation in rural and natural settings.
Spaces that become stages
Macastre plans to adapt public spaces for cultural use – the Centro Polivalente, the old school buildings, the castle, Fuente Grande and the Rambla del Pocico trail – offering intergenerational workshops, traditional music, performing arts and community research projects aimed at combating rural depopulation.
Expected social, cultural and economic impact
being named a Capital Cultural Valenciana brings multiple benefits:
- Greater visibility for local heritage at regional and national levels
- An increase in cultural tourism and visitor interest
- Economic stimulus for local commerce and services
- Job creation in cultural sectors and more opportunities for local artists
- stronger intermunicipal cooperation and long-term cultural policies
The Generalitat provides technical and financial assistance; cultural agencies such as CulturArts, the Consorci de Museus and the Institut Valencià de Cultura will accompany both towns thru 2025.
institutional message
During the official presentation,Conseller of Culture Vicent Marzà emphasized that the nomination “seeks not only to recognize what is already being done,but to project the cultural future of the territory.” He reiterated the Generalitat’s commitment to participatory, parity-focused and decentralized cultural policy.
Past Capital Cultural Valenciana cities
The program, which started in 2016, has already supported a growing network of municipal cultural capitals. Recent selections include:
- Sagunto (2018)
- Altea and Vila-real (2019)
- Alcoi and Alfafara (2021)
- Gandia and Bocairent (2023)
- Alzira and Geldo (2024)
At a glance: macastre vs Torrevieja (2025)
| Feature | Torrevieja | Macastre |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Large municipality (>5,000 inhabitants) | Small municipality (<5,000 inhabitants) |
| Focus | Internationality, coastal cultural tourism, large-scale venues | Community projects, rural memory, art in nature |
| Main goal | Universal access + decentralized programming | Prevent depopulation + social cohesion |
| Key venues | Theater, Auditorium, Sea & Salt Museum | Polivalente Center, castle, Fuente Grande |
What to expect in 2025
Both towns will present detailed calendars in the months ahead, but the year will include:
- Symphonic concerts and opera
- Exhibitions and film cycles
- Children’s programs and intergenerational workshops
- Community research and heritage recovery projects
- Cross-municipal collaborations and touring shows
Torrevieja will position itself as a Mediterranean cultural reference; Macastre will act as a laboratory for rural cultural innovation. Together they send a clear message: culture serves everyone, and it flourishes in cities and small towns alike.