Aberdeen’s Year of Culture, originally planned for 2017, will instead be spread out over five years.
The celebration was first proposed after Aberdeen lost out on the right to host the UK City of Culture title following a competition in 2013.
However, following a consultation with artists and cultural groups, the city council has opted to spread the festivities out over five years, instead of spending the £5 million budgeted for the programme over 12 months.
Marie Boulton, deputy leader of the Aberdeen City Council said: “City councillors agreed 18 months ago, in September 2013, that a significant investment should be committed to galvanise the long-term developments of the cultural sector in Aberdeen, in line with what artists and art organisations were telling us.
“Since then a significant amount of work has been done to support the creative endeavours of the organisations and individuals in Aberdeen who are engaged in cultural activities.
“A five-year budget of more than £5 million is in place to improve the cultural infrastructure of the city and create lasting benefits for the cultural sector and the city as a whole, far beyond what could have been achieved with a single ‘year of culture’.
“We are confident that this is the right strategy and that it is already bringing benefits to the cultural sector and the wider Aberdeen economy.”
Aberdeen was one of 11 cities which threw its hat into the ring for the UK City of Culture 2017 competition run by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport .
It failed to make the short list, losing out to east coast rival Dundee, after judges said the bid lacked “the wow factor”.
The title was finally awarded to Hull.