World Cities Culture Forum

About World Cities Culture Forum:

• It was founded in 2012 by Justine Simons OBE, London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture & the Creative Industries.
• It is a global network of cities that share research and intelligence, and explore the role of culture in future prosperity.
• The network currently has 40 cities spanning six continents. 
• Bengaluru being the latest addition is set to join the league of cities like New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Dubai among others.
• World cities culture summit hosted on a rotating basis by city partners, an unprecedented gathering of city leaders sharing ideas and knowledge about culture’s role in public policy in a world city context.

Key facts about Bengaluru

• Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) is a megacity, the capital of the Southern state of Karnataka and the fastest growing city in India.
• Its population has grown from one million in 1950 to over 16 million in 2023.
• It is commonly referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’ because of its role as the nation’s leading information technology exporter,
• It is home to more than 30 government and private museums that showcase the city’s rich history, art and culture.
• Most recently, South India’s first major private art museum, the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP), opened in February 2023.
• Bengaluru’s distinction lies in being a rare city where both North Indian (Hindustani) and South Indian (Carnatic) classical music thrive.
• As the “Garden City of India”, Bangaluru has many green spaces including two nationally recognised botanical gardens, Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park that act as green lungs for the city.