GO! 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorizia

What GO! 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorizia does

GO! 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorizia is the publicly-funded European Capital of Culture program for calendar year 2025, and the first cross-border ECoC designation in the program's 40-year history, jointly delivered across Nova Gorica (Slovenia) and Gorizia (Italy) with the third partner municipality of Šempeter-Vrtojba. It is operationally executed through two public-law entities: Javni Zavod GO! 2025, a Slovenian public institute (formally constituted in 2024 on a candidacy effort dating to 2019), and GECT GO/EZTS GO, a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation with legal standing in both Slovenia and Italy. Its primary stakeholders are cultural audiences, artists and creators, the cross-border resident community, and the three partner municipalities, with secondary visibility to EU institutions, national funders (Slovenia and Italy), and international cultural networks such as EU Japan Fest.

The technology platform is anchored by the multilingual official website at go2025.eu and a Progressive Web App at app.go2025.eu serving program information, event discovery, and ticketing guidance to a Slovenian/Italian/English (at minimum) audience without requiring native app installation. On the physical side, the program operates EPICenter as a year-round cultural hub and Xcenter as a dedicated music, art, and culture venue, supplemented by Infopoints distributed across the cross-border catchment. The cultural program itself comprises more than 20 distinct projects under the thematic banner "Borderless," spanning visual and performing arts (Borderless Body), heritage (GoJewishGo, European Eyes), gastronomy (European Region of Gastronomy designation, Borderless Beer — the first cross-border brewed beer co-produced with Reservoir Dogs in Slovenia and Antica Contea in Italy), neighborhood programming (Community Stages), cinema, and cross-border civic collaboration.

The business model is entirely public: the program is funded from European Union grants (including Interreg and Creative Europe streams), municipal budgets of the three partner cities, and Slovenian and Italian national-level support. There is no disclosed commercial revenue line, no ticketing platform operated by the entity, no product sales pipeline, and no investor capitalization; consequently, the entity does not present a traditional commercial P&L. Governance is dual-track: Mija Lorbek directs the Slovenian public institute, Romina Kocina directs the Italian GECT GO, with Stojan Pelko serving as Program Director and Neda Rusjan Bric as Artistic Consultant shaping the curatorial output. The program was formalized at the title handover on 22 November 2024, scaled internationally via presentations in Brussels (26 November 2024) and at the Berlin Slovenian Embassy (December 2024), and launched operationally with the opening ceremony on 8 February 2025.

Name

GO! 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorizia

Legal name

Javni Zavod GO! 2025

Website

https://go2025.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GO! 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorizia is the publicly-funded 2025 European Capital of Culture program — the first cross-border ECoC — operating across Nova Gorica (Slovenia) and Gorizia (Italy). It delivers 20+ cultural projects, a multilingual Progressive Web App, and venues including EPICenter and Xcenter to cultural audiences, artists, and three partner municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Program Management

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG), Cultural, Heritage & Arts Travel Agencies (THAKAFAK), Culture, Heritage & Arts Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAK)

Keywords

• Cross-border cultural programs
• European Capital of Culture
• Cultural event management
• Cross-border tourism
• Cultural heritage initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Nova Gorica

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GO! 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorizia manages and delivers a year-long cross-border cultural program as the first European Capital of Culture to be jointly awarded to two cities in two countries (Nova Gorica, Slovenia and Gorizia, Italy). The organization curates, coordinates, and presents more than 20 official cultural projects spanning visual arts, music, dance, theatre, film, gastronomy, and digital storytelling, supported by a multilingual website, a Progressive Web App, physical venues, and information points across the cross-border territory.

Product overview

GO! 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorizia is the first cross-border European Capital of Culture, serving as a unified platform connecting two cities (Nova Gorica, Slovenia and Gorizia, Italy) through a comprehensive cultural program. The core digital offerings consist of the official website (go2025.eu) providing institutional information, events, and news in three languages, and a Progressive Web App (app.go2025.eu) offering mobile access to events, weather/webcam, accommodations, dining, and transportation. The official program encompasses over 20 distinct projects and initiatives including: cultural venues (EPICenter, Xcenter), digital platforms (Borderless Wireless, LineB app), arts and performance programs (Borderless Body, Palchi di Comunità), film initiatives (Go Green Cinema, FICE Author Film Days), culinary experiences (Super 8, Experience Dining, Borderless Beer), heritage projects (GoJewishGo, Uncommon Fruits), and music/theater events. These projects collectively deliver the 'Borderless' vision of cross-border cultural cooperation through events, exhibitions, performances, digital storytelling, and experiential tourism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GO! 2025 Official Website Primary institutional website serving as the central information hub for the cross-border European Capital of Culture 2025, providing events, news, projects, visitor information, and newsletter subscriptions in English, Italian, and Slovenian.
• GO! 2025 Web App Progressive Web App (PWA) providing mobile access to events, weather and webcam information, accommodations, dining, transportation, and news for visitors exploring Nova Gorica and Gorizia during the European Capital of Culture year.
• EPICenter (EPIC) EPIC Interpretive Center serving as a permanent exhibition and cultural meeting point between the two cities, hosting concerts, exhibitions, performances, film screenings, conferences, and roundtables.
• Xcenter Cross-border center operating at the intersection of education, research, entrepreneurship, art, and culture, dedicated to cultivating the talents of the future in the Nova Gorica/Gorizia region.
• Borderless Wireless Digital gateway to the first cross-border European Capital of Culture, providing digital access to GO! 2025 programs and content across the Italian-Slovenian border.
• LineB Digital storytelling project exploring the border between Nova Gorica and Gorizia through an app, geolocated multimedia content, and educational events for schools.
• Super 8
• Borderless Body
• Palchi di Comunità (Community Stages) Season of micro-events, concerts, exhibitions, and cinema screenings taking place in evocative locations throughout Nova Gorica and Gorizia, including markets, parks, warehouses, courtyards, trains, and hotel corridors.
• EPISKOP
• Festival of Complexity
• Go Green Cinema
• Experience Factory
• Experience Dining
• GO(d)BA
• GoJewishGo
• Uncommon Fruits
• FICE Author Film Days
• Standing on Messerschmidt's Head(s)

Quantifiable outcome

• Major international events including mass gatherings: Marcia per l'Europa (May 1, 2025), Gusti senza frontiere (September 26-28, 2025), and closing ceremony (December 2025)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• EU Japan FestflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 202532-year-old NGO promoting cultural relations between European Capitals of Culture and Japan. The 33rd General Assembly was held in Tokyo in March 2025. GO! 2025 is represented by artistic consultant Neda Rusjan Bric. The partnership supports Japanese artist residencies, including dancer Eri Nishibara with MN Dance Company and artists Tatsuo Miyajima and Masayuki Ebinuma collaborating with University of Nova Gorica Academy of Arts on the 'Kaki' project.
• GECT GO / EZTS GOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation (GECT GO/EZTS GO) is the managing institutional body of the cross-border European Capital of Culture initiative. It encompasses the municipalities of Gorizia (Italy), Nova Gorica (Slovenia), and Šempeter-Vrtojba (Slovenia). Director Romina Kocina oversees operations. The entity operates offices in both Gorizia (Corso Italia, 55) and Nova Gorica.
• Mestna občina Nova Gorica (Municipality of Nova Gorica)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlovenian municipality serving as one of the two principal partners in the cross-border European Capital of Culture designation. Mayor Samo Turel participates in governance. Contributes operational support and hosts the primary headquarters.
• Comune di Gorizia (Municipality of Gorizia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian municipality serving as the other principal partner in the cross-border European Capital of Culture designation. Contributes to joint governance structure and hosts the Italian operational office.
• SKICA (Slovene Cultural Center Berlin)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSlovene Cultural Information Center operating at the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Berlin. Organized the GO! 2025 presentation to the German public at Kesselhaus Kulturbrauerei Berlin in December 2024.
• Reservoir Dogs BreweryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCraft brewery from Nova Gorica, Slovenia, collaborating with Antica Contea (Gorizia) on the Borderless Beer project. Developed the Borderless Golden Ale as a specialty product for the European Capital of Culture 2025. The collaboration began during COVID-19 as a gift for the ECC 2025 candidacy.
• Antica Contea BreweryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoutique brewery from Gorizia, Italy, partnering with Reservoir Dogs (Nova Gorica) on the Borderless Beer project. Jointly developed the Borderless Golden Ale and hosted the beer launch event at knjigarna kavarna Maks.
• University of Nova Gorica Academy of ArtsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution in Nova Gorica partnering on multiple GO! 2025 projects including the Animation Hub/Laboratory and the Kaki project with Japanese artists Tatsuo Miyajima and Masayuki Ebinuma. Film director Urška Djukić, who studied at the Academy, had her debut film open the Berlin Film Festival's Perspectives section.
• Teater na konfiniminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheater company participating as a partner in the Community Stages and Galleries (Palchi di Comunità) project, bringing theatrical interventions and micro-events to public spaces.
• HIT (Hotele Istra Trinidad)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional hospitality and entertainment company partnering on the Community Stages and Galleries project, contributing graphic art collections and hosting events at park and hotel venues.
• Pilonova galerijaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt gallery participating as a partner in the Community Stages and Galleries project, contributing to the cultural programming of the cross-border region.
• Fondazione Culturale della Carinzia (Carinthian Cultural Foundation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian cultural foundation that donated the Cupola Ingeborg Bachmann, designed by Austrian artist Armin Guerino, inaugurated April 25 as part of the Community Stages project.
• Slovenian Tourist BoardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational tourism organization collaborating on international presentations of GO! 2025, including the Berlin Embassy event in December 2024.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rijeka 2020 — European Capital of Culture: Former ECoC organization running a year-long cross-thematic cultural program under a dedicated managing entity with EU and city funding — the closest structural analogue to GO! 2025's program management model.
• Matera 2019 — European Capital of Culture: Italian ECoC designee providing national-context comparison for the Italian segment of GO! 2025's cross-border program — shared cultural and administrative features.
• Timișoara 2023 — European Capital of Culture: Recent ECoC designee operating multi-venue cultural programming, citywide events, and a managing body funded by EU and municipal sources — structurally identical to GO! 2025's organizational setup.
• European Capital of Culture Galway 2020: Designated European Capital of Culture in a prior cycle, operating the same ECoC mandate with municipal and EU funding, year-long cultural programming, and venues network managed during the title year.
• Tartu 2024 — European Capital of Culture: Most recent ECoC prior to GO! 2025, which officially received the title from Tartu in November 2024. Operates a dedicated cultural programming organization with EU and city funding.
• Bad Ischl Salzkammergut 2024 — European Capital of Culture: Outgoing 2024 ECoC that officially handed the title to GO! 2025 at the Lehár Theatre in November 2024 — operates identically scoped cultural program under a dedicated body.
• Plovdiv 2019 — European Capital of Culture: Completed ECoC delivering year-long programming under a dedicated organization with EU funding — provides comparable precedent for post-event legacy management.
• Leeuwarden 2018 — European Capital of Culture: Completed ECoC with an established legacy foundation maintaining programming post-title — relevant for benchmarking GO! 2025's permanent venue strategy.
• Bodø 2024 — European Capital of Culture: Concurrent 2024 ECoC under joint designation with Bad Ischl — operates cultural program delivery and venue coordination under a dedicated body, structurally identical.
• Veszprém-Balaton 2023 — European Capital of Culture: Multi-region ECoC delivering cultural programming across venues with ECoC-specific funding mechanisms — comparable to GO! 2025's three-municipality cross-border structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/2025Go
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCY114N7ystNh65Glbk1s5yw
• Facebookfacebook.com/NovaGorica2025
• Instagramgo2025.eu/instagram
• TikToktiktok.com/@go.2025?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/go-2025

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GO! 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorizia