Chemnitz, the European Capital of Culture 2025, has reached around 3.5 million people, thereby significantly exceeding its original target of two million visitors. A new brochure published by the City of Chemnitz, entitled ‘25 Successes and Impacts of Chemnitz 2025 – European Capital of Culture’, summarises the key outcomes of the title year and documents them on the basis of event data, academic analyses and statistical surveys. The results demonstrate impacts on culture, tourism, urban development, participation, European cooperation and social cohesion.
Lord Mayor Sven Schulze said: “The European Capital of Culture has brought about lasting change in Chemnitz: visible in our city, measurable in the available data and tangible in the way many people see themselves. The results show that our joint investments in culture, participation and international cooperation will have an impact far beyond the year 2025. The European Capital of Culture year marked the start of a long-term development that we will continue to shape together and firmly establish in Chemnitz and the region.”
Success across the entire cultural landscape
The increase in visitor numbers was not limited to individual major events. Museums, theatres and exhibitions reached new target groups and were each able to significantly expand their reach. A wide range of institutions benefited, from large museums to specialised exhibitions. Whilst low-threshold event formats attracted younger people in particular, exhibitions and curated programmes appealed more strongly to an older audience.
European Capital of Culture mobilised additional investment
Chemnitz 2025, European Capital of Culture, acted as a catalyst for additional public investment. Since the start of the application process in 2017, the organisers have mobilised a total of more than 115 million euros for the project. This was based on the funding agreement between the City of Chemnitz, the Free State of Saxony and the federal government in 2021. In the course of the project’s development, the budget was increased by more than 47 million euros. This was made possible by additional funding from the City of Chemnitz, the Free State of Saxony and the Federal Government, as well as specialist funding programmes from the European Union, the Federal Government and the Free State of Saxony, and the European Commission’s Melina Mercouri Prize, worth 1.5 million euros. Around 60 million euros of the total budget was channelled into the development of the intervention areas, the urban development project for Chemnitz, European Capital of Culture 2025.
Record tourism and economic boost
The European Capital of Culture year led to the highest level of tourism in the history of the city of Chemnitz. Compared with the previous year, visitor arrivals rose by 22 per cent and overnight stays by 24 per cent.
For the first time, the brochure takes into account not only the official tourism statistics but also smaller accommodation providers and private accommodation, based on data from the city’s accommodation tax. This provides a significantly more comprehensive picture of the actual volume of tourism, with a total of around 370,000 overnight guests and approximately 743,000 overnight stays.
Analyses by the payment service provider Mastercard also highlight the economic impact of the Capital of Culture year. Tourist spending rose significantly, particularly amongst leisure tourists. At the same time, the data shows that for every overnight guest there were around four day visitors. Amongst others, the hospitality sector, retail and other tourist attractions benefited from this.
Interest in the city itself also increased significantly. The number of participants on guided tours organised by the Tourist Information Centre rose to 36,599 in 2025, reaching a new record high. By way of comparison: in 2019, the pre-pandemic year, 11,710 people took part in guided tours.
Participation as a strength of the Capital of Culture
Chemnitz 2025 was underpinned by broad participation from the city, the region and across Europe. A total of 731 organisations were involved in the programme, including 233 international partners. Around 10,000 people actively took part in projects. They were supported by more than 1,300 volunteers.
Since 2017, 248 micro-projects by local stakeholders have received funding. In addition, there were 119 EUJA! initiative projects. In the CREATE.U youth programme, 81 young people got involved as independent cultural creators.
Stefan Schmidtke, Programme Director of Chemnitz 2025 European Capital of Culture gGmbH: “What the figures show in black and white is something we have felt throughout the year: Broad participation and working together not only create a fantastic cultural programme, but also strengthen social cohesion and forge lasting connections. From the numerous local initiatives right through to our European partners, it is first and foremost the many committed people who have shaped this European Capital of Culture, Chemnitz 2025.”
Study by Chemnitz University of Technology confirms social impact
The accompanying scientific research carried out by Chemnitz University of Technology shows that the European Capital of Culture year has had a social impact beyond the cultural offerings themselves. Public surveys conducted in 2024 and 2025 reveal a significantly more positive assessment of the European Capital of Culture and its events. There was a particularly sharp rise in agreement with the statement that it was a good thing for Chemnitz to have become the European Capital of Culture.
At the same time, people in Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region rated social cohesion in 2025 significantly more positively than in the previous year. Life satisfaction has also risen. The decline in perceptions of political self-efficacy and social participation was less pronounced compared with Saxony as a whole.
The analyses also show that visitors to the Capital of Culture programme perceive social cohesion more strongly than people who did not attend any events.
The city’s image has also changed. The ongoing visitor surveys conducted by Chemnitz University of Technology show that the image of Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region improved steadily throughout the year of the title and reached its highest recorded level by the end of the year.
Europe as a defining element of the programme
The European dimension shaped the programme of Chemnitz 2025, European Capital of Culture. More than 100 projects addressed European themes: from democracy and post-industrial transformation to migration. Of the approximately 731 organisations involved, 233 were from abroad. The analysis of the Chemnitz Monitor by Chemnitz University of Technology also shows that people who attended Chemnitz 2025 events identify more strongly with Europe than those who did not take part in the programme.
Chemnitz comes into the international spotlight
Chemnitz’s media presence increased significantly during its year as European Capital of Culture. Around 24,000 press mentions were recorded worldwide, including some 2,150 in-depth reports on Chemnitz 2025. Around 300 international journalists reported on the Capital of Culture year from the ground. The Chemnitz 2025 social media channels were viewed more than 90 million times.
Andrea Pier, Commercial Director of Kulturhauptstadt Europas Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH: “The brochure clearly shows what happens when politics, business and local initiatives pull together. This close collaboration has laid a solid foundation for carrying the momentum of Chemnitz 2025 forward beyond the title year. After all, the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 was never simply about a 365-day celebration, but about a sustainable strategy.”
Methodology
The brochure brings together the key figures and findings from the year of the title. It is based on event data, surveys and statistical analyses, with data current as of April 2026. The data was processed by Ulrich Weiser of the FOG Institute and the Chemnitz 2025 European Capital of Culture gGmbH. The Technical University of Chemnitz, under the leadership of Prof. Dr Jochen Mayerl, is responsible for the scientific impact assessment. The final evaluation of the European Capital of Culture year is scheduled for 2027.
Brochure
The brochure ‘25 Achievements and Impacts of Chemnitz 2025 – European Capital of Culture’ is now available to download at http://www.chemnitz.de/25erfolge. Printed copies will be distributed to stakeholders involved in the European Capital of Culture year, supporters from the worlds of politics and business, and members of the press.