The Social Activities Department of Nova Gorica Urban Municipality is responsible for sport, medicine, social security, culture and pre-school, elementary school and youth activities. It oversees and supports local public institutes established by the municipality or the state. A bid for co-financing humanitarian organisations, freelance artists, youth and sports programmes is announced annually and a special programme for stipendia and extra-curricular educational activities is organised.

Some cultural institutions located in Nova Gorica have the status of state institutions, eg the Regional Archives of Nova Gorica and the Slovene National Theatre (SNG) Nova Gorica, the latter built in 1995 with all the latest facilities and equipment. Like the France Bevk Goriška Library, Nova Gorica, these institutions were co-established with the collaboration of four other municipalities.

The Nova Gorica branch of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (ZVKDS) is responsible for some important cultural monuments in the region, including the Rihemberg and Kromberk Castles, the Bourbon Tomb and Kostanjevica Franciscan Monastery with its special library, while the Nova Gorica branch of the Scientific Research Centre (ZRC SAZU), Slovene Academy of Science and Arts is responsible for the heritage of Dr Henrik Tuma, a famous Alpinist.