In 2015, Pilsen invites you to more than 600 events. Theatre, concerts, exhibitions, public space events, artistic interventions. But there is one important thing: as they say, "culture is more". The European Capital of Culture is a project that is more than a festival, more than a presentation of artists, more than a one-off revitalisation of the city, more than an advertising space for sponsors. It is a project that has the power to change the perception of Pilsen, the perception of the role of culture, to become a milestone in the development of the city. The year-long programme of the European Capital of Culture creates space to promote Pilsen as a new international cultural centre. The world will see, hear and taste the beauty of a unique meeting of tradition and innovation. The vivid reminders of iconic figures associated with Pilsen's cultural and creative life, combined with original ideas from artists and organisers from across Europe, make the programme a unique mix of large and small events, cultural events for the general public and niche audiences, one-off experiences and long-term development projects. This transformation is something that Pilsen, its citizens, administrators and partners at all levels have been going through since the first impulse to apply. In this process, people are realizing that culture is an everyday part of human life and a society-wide issue. What else would compel us to debate the meaning of investing in culture and cultural infrastructure on a daily basis? What else would compel us to make a daily argument for balancing excellence in culture, talent support and community arts? What else would compel us to build a new Faculty of Design and Arts building or a New Theatre? What else would force the city leadership and officials of the Pilsen City Council to debate and decide daily about culture and art, about the European idea? This is a huge effect of the European Capital of Culture project. It has made culture one of the main topics of public debate. The European Capital of Culture is a great opportunity to discover what culture means and brings, who it addresses and involves. For a long time to come, there will be no better chance to show that culture is an everyday part of everyone's life, that we encounter it at every turn. That it significantly enhances the quality of life for the whole of society through its ability to answer human questions in ways other than tables, figures, graphs and curves. The year 2015 in Pilsen will show you how opera will move you to tears, how an exhibition will teach you tolerance for other cultures, how visual art in public space discovers new contexts for familiar places, what emotions you will experience at the European Neighbours' Day. At the same time, the projects of Pilsen 2015 and our partners show that there is a piece of the artist and creative personality in all of us - whether you are the organiser of a small festival that uses the Everfund donation platform, a skilled designer who makes your first prototype in a joint workshop at the Depot, a busker who plays into a hat in Kopecký Sady, one of the 300+ Arts Management course students gaining experience to develop their projects, a group of high school students joining in the opening ceremony, or a curious visitor to the city who gets swept away on a guided tour with the Hidden City mobile app. Just as the city of Pilsen has transformed over the last twenty years from totalitarian grey to a truly normal European city full of colour, it is high time for this change to happen to the people too. The Pilsen 2015 programme shows what path we have already taken from totalitarianism to creativity and where we could go next. If our identity is made up of individual historical moments, we can now experience one that allows us to experiment with new contexts and prepare for the future, to open up, discover and redefine it. For all artists, organisers and audiences, the European Capital of Culture is an opportunity to invite and host European artists and audiences, to debate European themes and enrich them with our own perspective, and to inspire Europe with our skills and originality. I look forward to seizing this opportunity with joy and pride, entertaining ourselves and the audience and participants in the process, and creating a legacy worth developing for the future.