European Capitals of Culture 2020 suspend activities due to pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the suspension of all activities for the 2020 European Capitals of Culture. Parma, the Italian Capital of Culture 2020, closed its program just over a month after its launch. The organizing committee hopes to resume later in the year and has requested Culture Minister Dario Franceschini to extend the title into 2021. Galway 2020 (Ireland) has announced significant program cuts, canceling and postponing events pending health developments. Rijeka (also known as Fiume, Croatia), the European Capital of Culture 2020, has suspended all events until April 14, with decisions on later events to be made by mid-April. Despite the halt, Rijeka 2020 installed the light installation "Refugees Will Come" by Azerbaijani-born Paris-based artist Babi Badalov on the Delta 5 building, addressing migration themes tied to the city's history. The pandemic has also disrupted other major events including Milan's Salone del Mobile, Tokyo Olympics, and Expo Dubai.