Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway. It is the 4th largest city in the country, with a population of 117,315 as of 2007, and is well-known for its high petroleum production. The city is opening its celebration as a 2008 European Cultural Capital with a ceremony on January 12. More than 200 major projects are being planned many of which will take place in the fjords, for which the region is famous. For more information on the celebration, check out:
Liverpool, home to the Beatles forty years ago, is going all out in 2008 to celebrate its status as a European Capital of Culture. Over 350 events are planned for the year-long festival, covering music, performing arts, street theatre, visual arts, sports, architecture and heritage, most of them free. The festival opens officially with "Liverpool the Musical" on December 1, 2007 featuring ex-Beatle Ringo Starr and the Eurythmics' Dave Steward, while on January 6,2008, Sir Paul McCartney headlines a festival to celebrate "Liverpool's global status as a world capital of music". For more information on all the events going on in Liverpool in 2008, and the city itself, check out:
Want to dig even deeper? Then go behind the scenes and look at two personal interviews that each take a significant look into the cities and what they have to offer:
Stavanger, Norway 
Liverpool, England 