Although the summer holidays are behind us, the European Cultural Summer in Trenčín is not yet over. Its September finale will feature community gatherings in nine locations across the city, theatre for families with children, an exhibition reflecting on environmental challenges, and a group cycle ride to explore art in public spaces. The programme, which attracted tens of thousands of visitors to Trenčín over the summer, will thus bring the summer to a close in the spirit of one of the key themes of Trenčín 2026 – connecting culture, people and the city.
‘Lively Neighbourhoods’ will show that a city is made up, above all, of people
The September programme will focus particularly on creating opportunities for people to come together right where they live. ‘Lively Neighbourhoods Week’, taking place from 10 to 17 September, will bring neighbours together in nine areas of Trenčín, whilst also marking the culmination of more than two years’ work on the ‘Lively Neighbourhoods’ project. Its aim is to support active communities and foster good relations between people in different parts of the city.
Over the past two years, 38 neighbourhood meetings have already taken place as part of the project. Whilst six localities took part in Lively Neighbourhoods Week last year, this year there will be nine. Behind the individual activities are more than twenty local liaisons and co-organisers who know their neighbourhoods well and selflessly put together a programme for their neighbours.
However, the project does not rely solely on the organisers. A vibrant neighbourhood is created by every cake brought to the communal table, by helping to organise the programme, by conversations between neighbours, or by the willingness to do something for the place where people live. Lively Neighbourhoods Week thus highlights the importance of communities and good interpersonal relationships, which greatly influence how people perceive the quality of life in their neighbourhood.
Gulliver’s Travels invites children and adults alike into the world of theatre
Saturday 12 September will be a special day for families with children, when the Polish theatre company Teatr Klinika Lalek visits Trenčín with their production of Gulliver’s Travels. The international dimension of the programme will thus remain present right up to the very end of the European Cultural Summer.
Inspired by Jonathan Swift’s famous story, the performance will offer a theatrical experience for both children and their parents, further enriching the varied programme that has appealed to visitors of all ages throughout the summer.
The Green Line will bring together art, the city and environmental themes
The September programme will also feature the continuation of the Green Line project, which, under the curatorial guidance of visual artist Oto Hudec, brings together contemporary art, public space and environmental themes.
On Friday 11 September at 6.00 pm, the opening of the exhibition the Thin Green Line will take place at the County House. The exhibition will showcase both local and international artists whose work responds to the climate crisis, loss of biodiversity, pollution, and civic and environmental activism. The exhibition will then remain open until 6 December 2026.
However, the ‘Green Line’ project does not remain confined to the gallery walls. Artistic interventions by local and international artists are situated in Trenčín’s public spaces, creating a symbolic route across the city. They offer residents and visitors the chance to see familiar places through different eyes, whilst raising questions about humanity’s relationship with nature, the climate and the environment in which we live.
On Sunday 13 September, visitors will also be able to discover them during the Green Line Cycle Ride. This group ride will link the individual art installations in the city with themes of public space, sustainability and the environment.
A summer that brought the city together
Over the past few months, the European Cultural Summer has offered nearly 100 events and attracted tens of thousands of visitors to Trenčín. At the same time, it demonstrated the power of collaboration between the city, the region, cultural institutions, festival organisers, artists, local communities and the Trenčín 2026 team. Culture took to the streets, parks, courtyards, the banks of the Váh and right into the city’s neighbourhoods, appealing to both locals and visitors alike.
“The European Summer of Culture showed that culture can bring the whole city together – from large festivals attracting tens of thousands of visitors to a gathering of a few neighbours around a single table. It was precisely this diversity that was its greatest strength. We are delighted that the collaboration between the city, the region, cultural institutions, communities and organisers has created a summer full of culture and encounters. And although the summer holidays are over, the Trenčín 2026 programme continues,” says project director Stanislav Krajči.
Since June, the European Cultural Summer has filled Trenčín with concerts, festivals, theatre performances, exhibitions, community activities and artistic interventions in public spaces. The programme was developed in collaboration with the City of Trenčín, the Trenčín Self-Governing Region, cultural institutions, local communities and the Trenčín 2026 – European Capital of Culture team.
The full programme for the European Summer of Culture is available atwww.trencin2026.eu/leto .
The project is organised by Trenčín 2026. The project has received financial support from the City of Trenčín, the Trenčín Self-Governing Region and the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. The European Union is a partner in the project.
Media contact: Tereza Fojtová tereza.fojtova@trencin2026.eu +421 918 412 621 www.trencin2026.eu
