European Heritage Days 2019: Europeans and tourists can participate in over 70,000 cultural events across the continent

The 2019 European Heritage Days (#EHDs), a joint initiative of the European Commission and the Council of Europe since 1999, and supported by the Creative Europe Programme are taking place across Europe from August to October. This year’s theme is “Arts and Entertainment”. Involving over 70,000 events, the European Heritage Days are the largest participatory cultural happening on the continent. They will showcase the value of our common heritage, highlighting the need to conserve it for current and future generations. Activities include, for example, festivals, exhibitions, craft workshops, conferences and tours. From street shows to concert halls, traditional theatres and museums to cinema and social media, the Europe’s entertainment heritage will play out on local, national and European stages, for visitors and guests from Europe and abroad. It will also explore the role of new digital technologies in heritage and its conservation for the future. Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, said: “The European Heritage Days are a great opportunity for European citizens to connect with their cultural heritage. They are an important element of the European Framework for Action that I presented last December to ensure that the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage has an impact in the long term. As heritage is so fundamental to our societies and to linking our past with our future, it needs to have its place at the heart of citizens’ daily lives. The European Heritage Days have an important role in bringing it right there.” European Heritage Days bring citizens together and highlight the European dimension of cultural heritage in the 50 signatory States of the European Cultural Convention.