Novi Sad is pulsating with the energy of young people, their creativity, free spirit, sophisticated ideas and cosmopolitan attitude. Novi Sad is a city that tackles imagination and doesn’t leave you indifferent, it is a city where the youth get together, go out together and work together. A city that inspires, in which one learns, creates, progresses, makes connections. A city in which every young person has a right of voice; a voice that is heard, and understood.
Due to these qualities, Novi Sad has been awarded the title of the Youth Capital of Europe. This is a title given by the European Youth Forum aimed at empowering the youth policy and contributing to the strengthening of European identity through various activities. Every year, one European city has the opportunity to showcase its innovative ideas, projects and activities that give voice to young people and encourage their participation in society as well as in all aspects of urban life. Crucial here is that young people become equal in decision-making and have the ability to influence the social, economic and political life of the city they live in. That is why the initiative of the Youth Capital of Europe is trying to support both young people and the city in order to realise these potentials.
The young people who live in Novi Sad are the ones to be credited for giving their city recognition for everything that it provides for them. The Youth Capital of Europe Novi Sad (# OPENS2019) is a federation of associations which, together with their partners, implement programme activities. From city infrastructure, cultural and educational programs and democratic policy making, by the end of 2020, the city will be painted with OPENS colors. The OPENS team additionally enriches the urban spaces and encourages young people to engage in various activities. They continually encourage youth to invest in themselves, and through the improvement of their knowledge and life skills, take part in everything that city life implies and means.
Summer is ahead of us, as the time of the year when the entire Novi Sad starts vibrating and becomes one big agora. A series of open-air events, both in the centre of the city and elsewhere in the wider urban area, gather not only local people, but also visitors from both near and far. From EXIT festival, and other events such as Days of Brazil, to the Festival of street musicians, Novi Sad entertains and involves, educates, recreates and inspires. Of particular importance is the OPENS Youth Fair, which takes place ahead of the EXIT festival, when Novi Sad becomes the centre of youth who gather here from all around the world. The Exit team, Tourism Organisation of the City of Novi Sad in cooperation with OPENS, European Capital of Culture 2021 and numerous sports and dance organisations, join forces and raise Novi Sad on its feet. Because the summer rhythm certainly does good to everyone, it gives energy and makes everyone feel young!
