World Cities Culture Forum – World Cities Culture Report

The World Cities Culture Report uses data and case studies to highlight the impact of culture in creative cities globally. First published in 2012, with subsequent editions in 2015, 2018, 2022 and 2025, it is published every three years. Using data indicators on a range of areas from World Cities Culture Forum’s city partners, the Report is a go-to document for city cultural policymakers worldwide.

5th Edition

The 5th Edition of the report is the world’s most comprehensive dataset on culture in cities, including a new data explorer tool with over 100+ data indicators, more than 125 city cultural projects, as well as policy insights and opinion from global leaders.

Report Key Data

260 million people represented across the World Cities Culture Forum network
1.3 billion tourists welcomed by our cities
120,329 heritage and historic sites
3,021 museums
4,012 public libraries
4,157 theatres
3,041 cinemas
1,086 cultural centres
4,150 live music venues
1,096 higher education providers
5,743 night clubs, discos and dance halls

The Covid-19 pandemic had a huge impact on cities and their culture. The 2022 report explores how cities recovered. The Report highlights the role of culture in driving cities economic and social recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic and demonstrates the key role culture plays in addressing urban challenges and creating thriving cities.

Report Key Data

94% average fall in attendance at main carnival/festival between 2019-21 due to Covid-19

72% average fall in international tourism between 2019-21

50% average drop in theatre and music performances between 2019-21

3% average population increase of across our cities between 2019-21

62% of cities have undertaken cross-department initiatives between their culture and environment teams

60% of cities commissioned artworks or creative projects using environmental sustainability as a theme

Exploring global cities' cultural impact on life through their policies, emphasising their pivotal role in shaping urban culture. Against a backdrop of a changing world order, increasingly divisive national politics and crises of national identity in countries around the globe, the World Cities Culture Report 2018 highlights a change in approach from local governments in world cities. Recognising that cultural investment over the last 20 years has sometimes unintentionally contributed to social pressures in global cities, the report finds.

Report Key Data

1,516 bars in Amsterdam

235 art galleries in Barcelona

230 night clubs in Buenos Aires

58 markets in Cape Town

2.7m estimated attendance at main festival in Edinburgh

4.45m visits to the top 5 art galleries and museums in Hong Kong

54 cinema screens in Lagos

659 performing arts/dance rehearsal spaces in Los Angeles

9,986 theatrical performances at all theatres in Milan

83,239 restaurants in Seoul

121 film festivals in Toronto

From Museums to Streets: Unleashing the Potential of Culture in Cities. The World Cities Culture Report 2015 explores why culture is the golden thread of urban policy and how it can solve some of the biggest challenges of our urban environments.

Report Key Data

117 live music venues in Austin

17.5m cinema admissions per year in Bogotá

62 art galleries in Dubai

38,292 heritage/historical sites in Istanbul

16.3% creative industries employment in London

373 cinema screens in Melbourne

2.9m visits to top 5 art galleries and museums in Montreal

453 live music venues in New York

302 public libraries in Shanghai

15.5m international tourists per year in Singapore

54 festivals and celebrations per year in Warsaw

The World Cities Culture Report 2012 explores how culture influences the future of cities by presenting unprecedented data on 12 global cities’ cultural life and policymaking.

Report Key Data

18 national museums in Berlin

1,020 book shops in Johannesburg

152 art galleries in Mumbai

302 cinemas in Paris

2.2m visits to top 5 art galleries and museums in São Paulo

4.8 cinema admissions per capita in Sydney

24,575 theatre performances per year in Tokyo

World Cities Culture Reports

5th Edition

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4th Edition

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3rd Edition

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2nd Edition

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1st Edition

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