BENGALURU JOINS WORLD CITIES CULTURE FORUM

Today Bengaluru, the fastest growing city in India, joins World Cities Culture Forum.

City leaders in Bengaluru will work alongside counterparts from more than 40 cities, including Buenos Aires London, New York and Tokyo to place culture at the heart of the city’s growth and investment.

The Forum will work closely with Unboxing BLR Foundation, a not-for-profit initiative which aspires to make Bengaluru a vibrant, inclusive and global city. Unboxing BLR was co-founded in April 2022 by Prashanth Prakash, Founding Partner of Accel India and Philanthropist, and Malini Goyal, an established journalist, both based in Bangaluru.

Commenting today, Prashanth Prakash, Chairman, Unboxing BLR Foundation, said:

“Bengaluru already has the right to claim its place as a global city, the most diverse in India. With our deep cultural roots in history, a young, growing population, and as India’s tech capital, we now want to expand our relationship with the world through culture. We look forward to being part of a global community of like-minded cities who share the same challenges and opportunities.”

“With our deep cultural roots in history, a young, growing population, and as India’s tech capital, we now want to expand our relationship with the world through culture.”

Prashanth Prakash, Chairman Unboxing BLR Foundation

Justine Simons OBE, London’s Deputy Mayor of Culture and the Creative Industries, and Founder and Chair of World Cities Culture Forum, said:

“Culture is an essential ingredient in the success of cities, bringing together communities and helping to driving economies. The World Cities Culture Forum is the principal global network of creative cities and civic leaders – all passionate about the transformational power of culture. We look forward to working with the city of Bengaluru to support its growth as a creative capital.”

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, making it the third largest city in India with a population set to expand to over 20 million by 2033.

Commonly referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’ because of its role as the nation’s leading information technology exporter, 35% of India’s one million IT professionals are employed in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru is home to more than 30 government and private museums that showcase the city’s rich history, art and culture. These include the Government Museum, the National Gallery of Modern Art and the Indian Music Experience, India’s first interactive music museum opened in 2019. Most recently, South India’s first major private art museum, the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP), opened in February 2023.

At the heart of Bengaluru’s intellectual and cultural exchange is the Bangalore International Centre, hosting renowned events, lectures, and exhibitions.

The city also has artists’ studios and community-focused cultural spaces promoting art, theatre and music. Opened in 2019 in a former 20,000 sq ft industrial warehouse, Bangalore Creative Circus is an Urban Living Lab, a growing community of artists, scientists, chefs, gardeners, thinkers and changemakers, all committed to inspire and enable a regenerative culture for individuals and systems alike.

Bengaluru is a centre for production of film, a home to the Kannada film industry which produces 100 movies each year making it in the top five movie industry centres in India. Bengaluru’s distinctions lies in being a rare city where both North Indian (Hindustani) and South Indian (Carnatic) classical
music thrive.

A variety of festivals and cultural events take place in Bangaluru, including The Bengaluru International Film Festival, The Bangalore Literature Festival, Bengaluru Design Festival and Future Fantastic Festival, a first of its kind AI and Arts Festival in India.

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.

Picture Credit From Top: © Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts © Getty/Canva