Spain's culture ministry has announced the shortlist of four candidates to be a European Capital of Culture in 2031 and Palma isn't one of them. Cáceres, Granada, Las Palmas and Oviedo are the four candidates, which now have a further nine months to polish their proposals and hope for selection.
No reason has been given as to why Palma has missed out, though being in the Mediterranean may have counted against it. This is because Victoria in Malta has already been selected as a 2031 European Capital of Culture. Malta and Spain will share the honours in 2031; it is normal for there to be two cities from different countries.
The town hall established working groups for the bid and it has generated a good deal of publicity. There was, for instance, the Joan Miró exhibition to coincide with London's World Travel Market in November. In the summer, there was a concert in the Parc de la Mar - David Gómez One Piano and 2031 Candles. Also in the Parc de la Mar was the DJ concert for the fiestas for the Mare de Déu de la Salut, one of the city's two patrons. Celebrations for these fiestas had been very lowkey until last year.
More than this, there are the ambitions for the GESA Building and its surrounding area - a cultural and creative centre for the city. These will continue to be worked on, Mayor Jaime Martínez responding to Friday's announcement by stating: "With or without a nomination, Palma is already a great cultural capital in the Mediterranean, in Europe and in the world."
The Palma bid process came somewhat later than other cities, and when the bid was outlined by the culture councillor and deputy mayor, Javier Bonet, in July last year, there were criticisms.