A participatory approach was at the heart of understanding the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 and consequently after the end of 2018, the cultural heritage sector is putting efforts to understand if the approach was a contemporary trend, a methodology for the Year itself, a topic that was widely discussed, an outlook that is becoming more and more embedded in cultural heritage practices or a synthesis of all aspects. The paper explores if and how the European Year has contributed to advance and progress the understanding of the approach and enhance practices of the participatory governance of cultural heritage.