Palma's 2016 European Capital of Culture bid to be launched next week

PALMA
PALMA'S 2016 European Capital of Culture bid is being launched next Monday at the city's Chamber of Commerce.
The event, starting at 6pm, will have speakers including Neil Peterson, who was involved in Liverpool's successful 2008 bid, and representatives from bid sponsors the Majorcan Tourist Board, the Chamber of Commerce and the Institute of Balearic Studies.

Palma is entering the running to be granted the honour in 2016, competing with ten other Spanish cities.
Each year a different EU country has the opportunity to have one of its cities be named the Capital of Culture for the year. In 2016, the opportunity turns to Spain, and Palma (fronting the Balearic bid) has applied for candidacy along with Málaga, San Sebastian, Segovia, Tarragona, Santander, Córdoba, Cáceres, Burgos and Alcalá de Henares.

The Capital of Culture award is granted by the European Union and was first given in 1984, with Athens being selected as the first. Previous holders of the title include Liverpool, who held it last year, Glasgow (1990), Madrid (1992), Lisbon (1994), and West Berlin (1988).