A ceremonial event in Lviv today marked the conclusion of the city’s year as the European Youth Capital 2025, bringing together young people, partners, and international delegations from across Europe. The ceremony highlighted Lviv’s role in shaping a powerful youth movement on the continent. During the event, the title of European Youth Capital was symbolically handed over to Tromsø (Norway), which will hold it next year. It was also announced that Podgorica will become the European Youth Capital in 2028.
The evening opened with the Ukrainian National Anthem performed by Lviv’s National Academic Male Choir “Dudaryk,” followed by a moment of silence in memory of those who have lost their lives due to russian aggression.
Speeches of welcome were delivered by Andriy Moskalenko, First Deputy Mayor of Lviv; Oleksandr Sanchenko, Co-chair of the Youth Affairs Council under the President of Ukraine; Munir Mamedzade, Head of UNICEF Ukraine; and Tobias Flessenkemper, Head of the Youth Department at the Council of Europe.
A special highlight of the event was the performance by rapper and activist Mysha Pravylnyi, who presented a track dedicated especially to Ukrainian youth. No less emotional was a joint performance by veteran Hryhorii “Mario” Pokydanets and servicewoman Nataliia Tarkovska.
The ceremony’s culmination was the formal handover of the title of European Youth Capital 2026 to the city of Tromsø. Representatives of Tromsø received a symbolic key and a unique statuette created by Ukrainian artist Serhii Maidukov, symbolizing light and the resilience of youth.
After the presentations of the five finalists for the 2028 title—Chișinău (Moldova), Podgorica (Montenegro), Paralimni (Cyprus), Leeuwarden (Norway), and others—Sina Riz A Porta of the European Youth Forum took the stage. During her remarks, the winner was announced: Podgorica, which officially earned the title of European Youth Capital 2028.
The ceremony concluded with reflections on Lviv’s year as the European Youth Capital 2025. It was emphasized that this was a year of people—youth, volunteers, partners, communities, and all those who worked to build a true movement. The European Youth Capital 2025 team took the stage—those who daily build bridges between cities, communities, and generations.
The event also included a charitable component: the “Bridge of Kindness” for Marko, a boy diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. All attendees contributed to the fundraiser, which is supported by a charity raffle. Participation is open via a dedicated link.The ceremony was made possible through the efforts of the TVORY! Network, the Office of the European Youth Capital under the Lviv City Council, the Youth Affairs Council under the President of Ukraine, with the support of UNICEF (funded by BMZ through KfW Development Bank), the humanitarian organization People in Need, UNDP, and partners including Kredobank, Lviv Croissants, Tomatina, Morshynska, Onur Group, Avalon, KindGeek, Riel, Arsen, and others.
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In 2022, Lviv became the first Ukrainian city to receive the title of European Youth Capital. This recognition reflected years of work to create an open, dynamic, and inclusive environment for young people.
Since 2018, Lviv has been systematically developing youth infrastructure: modern youth centers have opened, the TVORY! network was launched, and major national festivals and conferences were created — including Molodvizh, Dysarium, Youth Day, and others.
Throughout 2025, more than a hundred events and initiatives were implemented in Lviv: forums, festivals, research projects, the opening of new youth spaces, and the expansion of a network of communities working with young people. The title year transformed Lviv into a true center of European dialogue, where young people became a driving force shaping communities and partnerships even during wartime.
