| COMEON | Encouragement from Capital of Culture, backing second one-off (4-2) |
| FLIGHT | Escape from capital of foreign land (6) |
| DEVOUT | French from capital of Vietnam, revealed as sincere |
| AARHUS | Denmark's second largest city, European Capital of Culture in 2017, along with Paphos in Cyprus |
| GALWAY | Irish city, 2020 European Capital of Culture (6) |
| WEIMAR | German city that was the European Capital of Culture in 1999 (6) |
| KRAKOW | European Capital of Culture in 2000 (6) |
| ENOSIS | Am I backing second rallying cry for union with Greece? (6) |
| ECOMAP | Community links plan backing second church with a priest, primarily |
| CAJOLE | Persuade knave to return, mostly getting encouragement from Spanish? |
| PROMPT | Encouragement from easy run in training (6) |
| ERNE | Flyer heading off from capital of Europe |
| PREFERENCE | Fancy letter of recommendation backing second of applicants |
| OULU | City of northern Finland chosen as the European Capital of Culture for 2026 in June 2021 (4) |
| NOVISAD | One of the three European Capitals of Culture for 2021, in NE Serbia on the Danube river (4,3) |
| VALLETTA | Malta's capital and current co-Capital of Culture (8) |
| LIVERPOOL | City of north-west England named European Capital of Culture in 2008 (9) |
| LINZ | Austrian city on the River Danube, former European Capital of Culture (4) |
| EVORA | City in south central Portugal, site of a European Capital of Culture for 2027 (5) |
| NIGHTCAPS | Close to backing second treaty Drinks to round things off (9) |
