Onda and Biar, Valencian cultural capitals 2026 with 91 and 90 points

The Generalitat Valenciana has recognized Onda and Biar as Valencian cultural capitals for the year 2026. This was decided by the Resolution of November 6, 2026, of the Autonomous Secretariat of Culture, published in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat Valenciana (DOGV) No. 10489, of November 9, 2026, within the administrative acts of the Department of Education, Culture and Universities (reference DOGV-C-2026-35169). Onda obtained the recognition in the category of municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants with 91 points, and Biar in the category of municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants with 90 points.

The competition that started in October

The recognition is the result of the competition convened by the Resolution of October 15, 2026, of the Autonomous Secretariat of Culture (DOGV No. 10472, of October 16, 2026, reference DOGV-C-2026-32382), which set October 30 as the deadline for submitting the capital projects. Decree 16/2025, of December 3, assigns the Department of Education, Culture and Universities the competencies regarding culture and cultural promotion, and the resolution is supported by article 113 of Decree 186/2025, of December 5, of the Consell.

The evaluation committee met on November 3, 2026, and applied a 100-point scale divided into three criteria: characteristics of the municipality (up to 20 points), characteristics of the project (up to 50), and the impact of the project (up to 30). Its minutes and the technical report were incorporated into the file.

Seven candidacies and two winners

Seven municipalities participated in the call, divided into two categories based on their population:

• Municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants: Onda, Torreblanca, and Ontinyent.
• Municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants: la Font d’en Carròs, Albuixech, Enguera, and Biar.

In the event of a tie, the rules provide for breaking the tie based on the project impact criterion, then by the project characteristics, and finally by the municipality characteristics, with a draw as a last resort. This was not necessary: Onda and Biar achieved the highest score in their respective categories.

What it implies to be a cultural capital

The sixth resolution of the call details the counterparts that the Generalitat assumes with the selected municipalities:

• Organization of an awarding ceremony with institutional presence and promotion in the Generalitat’s own media.
• The municipalities will host, at a minimum, one exhibition, one performing arts proposal, and one congress or meeting organized by the Generalitat, as a measure to decentralize unique projects.
• Use of the distinctive seal of the Valencian cultural capital in its cultural programming and institutional advertising during the term.

The Valencian Cultural Capital (CCV) program was born in 2017, when the then Department of Education, Culture and Sport awarded it for the first time, with the stated objective of decentralizing the Consell’s cultural offering, generating economic activity through cultural tourism, and structuring the territory outside of the provincial capitals.

Deadlines and appeals

The resolution does not exhaust administrative remedies: an appeal for reversal (recurso de alzada) may be filed before the head of the Department of Education, Culture and Universities within one month from the day following its publication in the DOGV, in accordance with articles 121 and 122 of Law 39/2015, of October 1. The text was signed in València, on November 6, 2026, by Marta Alonso Rodríguez, regional secretary of Culture.

The recognition arrives with the calendar year practically closed, so the programming associated with the capital status—exhibition, performing arts proposal, and congress or meeting—and the use of the official seal will be deployed in the remaining months of the fiscal year and in the institutional promotion of both municipalities, with the consequent effect on the cultural agenda and tourist appeal of Onda and Biar.

Source: Official Gazette of the Generalitat Valenciana, no. 10489, of November 9, 2026, section III. Administrative acts, C) Other matters, page 1 (official reference: DOGV-C-2026-35169).