The event kicked off at the centre of Esch-sur-Alzette, where participants were invited to get on their bikes and cycle a few kilometres to the University of Luxembourg campus in Belval. Participants also joined from neighbouring Villerupt located on the other side of the French border. On the way, they could discover bicycle routes, create kites and discover the latest preparations for Esch’s role as the European Capital of Culture in 2022.
In Belval, visitors could enjoy urban opera, hot air balloon trips, trampolines, concerts and shows. Everything was obviously organised with the necessary hygiene measures and social distancing.
“The Night of Culture transforms the city into a huge playground in order to highlight its heritage and the skills of residents, associations, artists and institutions,” comments project coordinator and artistic director Loïc Clairet. “Culture is the strength of living together. It makes it possible to meet, travel and get out of one’s habits or daily life. It is a form of exoticism. It offers countless possibilities to get away from it all, to think about things in a different way and look at them from another angle, to wonder, to feel positive or negative emotions elsewhere, but it rarely leaves you indifferent.”