The Hague gets creative in bid for Capital of Culture

A Dutch city will become the European Capital of Culture for 2018, and so far The Hague has been flooded with ideas from over 1.000 residents on how best to earn the title.

Since March an "idea bus" has been driving around The Hague asking residents about their cultural visions for the city in 2018, and ideas have also been submitted via the campaign website.

The subject has inspired plenty of creativity in the city's residents. Some suggestions are:
› a theatre tram
› a cultural sauna in Scheveningen
› a pop music festival in the Lower House of Parliament
› a hot air balloon festival
› an elevated pedestrian / cycling bridge connecting the main roads and shopping streets to one another

Stichting Den Haag 2018 will publish the 100 best ideas in a magazine to be launched in September at the Haags UIT Festival.

In addition to The Hague, there are five more Dutch cities vying to become the European Capital of Culture in 2018:
› Maastricht
› The city of Brabant (Breda, Eindhoven, Den Bosch, Helmond, Tilburg & surrounding areas)
› Utrecht
› Almere
› Friesland

At the beginning of 2013 it will be announced whether The Hague will go on to the second round.