State of Culture in Albania 2025 · Municipal profiles · Artivista Center (Qendra Artivista)
This profile is based on information provided by the Municipality of Kukës in reply to Artivista's request for information on culture (2026), the municipality's medium term budget plans (PBA), and INSTAT's 2023 Population and Housing Census. Amounts are in Albanian lek.
At a glance
| Region (qark) | Kukës |
| Administrative units | 15: Kukës, Arrën, Bicaj, Bushtricë, Grykë-Çajë, Kalis, Kolsh, Malzi, Shishtavec, Shtiqën, Surroj, Tërthore, Topojan, Ujëmisht, Zapod |
| Area | About 957 km² |
| Population, 2023 Census | 36,125 (about 38 residents per km²); an estimated 24.7% fewer than in 2011 |
| Residents aged 65 and over | 11.6% (national average 19.7%) |
| Cultural institution | Municipal Cultural Centre, with the Library, the Museum and the American Corner |
| Staff | Between 19 and 20 during the period 2020 - 2025 |
| Culture programme (PBA) | 25,985,000 lek planned for 2026 |
| Main heritage work | Rehabilitation of the Palace of Culture “Hasan Prishtina”, 44,000,000 lek, 2025 |
| Income from culture | 0 lek in every year |
Summary
Kukës, in the mountains of northeastern Albania near the borders with Kosovo and North Macedonia, has one of the youngest populations in this series: only 11.6% of residents are aged 65 or over. Its population is estimated to have fallen by about a quarter since 2011.
Culture is run by the Municipal Cultural Centre, with the Library, the Museum and the American Corner, and a staff of 19 to 20. The culture programme pays for salaries and for a calendar of events rooted in local memory and tradition, led by “Eksod '99”, which remembers the refugees from Kosovo welcomed in Kukës in 1999.
The largest work in the period was the rehabilitation of the Palace of Culture “Hasan Prishtina” in 2025, for 44 million lek. The reply also reports 15.9 million lek of investment in the Cultural Centre that year. The cultural institutions generate no income, and no public consultations on culture were held.
1. Governance and institutions
Until 2024 the institution was called the Centre for Culture, Art, Community Relations and Volunteer Services; from the 2025 budget it is the Municipal Cultural Centre. The Library, the Museum and the American Corner operate under it. Staff numbers, set each year in the council decision on the budget, were 20 in 2020 and 2021, 19 in 2022 - 2024 and 20 in 2025.
2. Funding
The reply does not give the annual culture budget. It explains that the culture programme pays each year for salaries, social insurance and the annual events planned by the programme team, as well as festivals, exhibitions, competitions, children's theatre and official ceremonies. In 2025, 15,894,326 lek were spent on investment in the Cultural Centre and 44,000,000 lek on rehabilitating the Palace of Culture; the reply does not say whether the two figures overlap. It adds that NGOs may also have invested in culture, but the municipality has no information on this.
According to the medium term budget plan 2026 - 2028, the culture programme 08220 has 25,985,000 lek for 2026, all for current spending. This includes 3,500,000 lek for the main annual events and 3,000,000 lek for other social and cultural activities. The plan's list of investment priorities includes the reconstruction of the Ethnographic Museum for 20,000,000 lek, without a set year. The cultural institutions reported income of 0 lek in every year from 2020 to 2025.
3. Cultural programme
The municipality organised or supported “Eksod '99”, Children's Day on 1 June, Mountain Day on 11 July, mountain tourism events in Shishtavec, the traditional Gjallica and Rrunat festivals and a year-end concert with outstanding pupils. The reply does not give the number of events or participants per year.
4. Heritage
The Palace of Culture “Hasan Prishtina”, the town's main venue, was rehabilitated in 2025 for 44,000,000 lek. The reply lists no other heritage works. Kukës has a particular history: the old town was flooded by the Fierza reservoir in the 1970s and the present town was built nearby, and in 1999 it received a large number of refugees from Kosovo, the event remembered each year as “Eksod '99”.
5. Planning and public participation
Kukës has no separate culture strategy. The reply explains that culture and the promotion of heritage are part of the municipality's Territorial Strategy, which aims to value local potential, strengthen local identity and promote the area's cultural and traditional assets. No public consultations on culture or heritage were held.
6. Culture across the municipality
Cultural activities take place in the Palace of Culture and in the main squares of the town. The only unit named separately is Shishtavec, home to the Gora community, where mountain tourism is promoted. The reply gives no information on the other 13 units.
Conclusions
- Kukës has one of the youngest populations in this series, but has lost about a quarter of its residents since 2011.
- The Palace of Culture “Hasan Prishtina” was rehabilitated in 2025 for 44 million lek.
- The culture programme has 26 million lek planned for 2026, all for current spending.
- The calendar of events is rooted in local memory and mountain traditions.
- The cultural institutions generate no income, and no public consultations on culture were held.
Recommendations
Report the annual budget
Giving the planned and actual culture budget for each year, in the reply itself, would make Kukës comparable with other municipalities.
Make full use of the renewed Palace of Culture
A year-round programme for the rehabilitated Palace, with activities for young people, would make the most of the investment.
Set a date for the museum
The reconstruction of the Ethnographic Museum is on the priority list without a year. Setting a timetable, and seeking national or EU funds, would move it forward.
Reach the mountain villages
With 15 units spread across the mountains, a travelling programme and support for local festivals beyond Shishtavec would bring culture to more residents.
About the data
Population figures come from the INSTAT 2023 Census; the change since 2011 is an estimate adjusted to the current municipal boundary. Institution, staff, events, investments, heritage, planning, consultations and income are as reported by the Municipal Cultural Centre in its reply (2026). Programme figures come from the municipality's medium term budget plan (PBA) 2026 - 2028.
Every effort has been made to base this analysis on the data provided by the municipality, complemented with data from its Medium Term Budget Programmes (PBA) published online. For comments or questions, please contact artivista@arti-vista.org.
This article was prepared within the CulturAL project, with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the National Centre for Community Services and Artivista Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
