About the World Cities Culture Summit
“A masterclass in cultural policy” bringing together city leaders from across the globe to connect, collaborate, and accelerate change.
The World Cities Culture Summit is the flagship annual event of the World Cities Culture Forum. Held in a different city each year, it convenes Deputy Mayors, Heads of Culture and senior city leaders for an intensive programme focused on practical, transferable solutions for improving citizens’ lives.
50+ Cities from across the globe are invited to attend each year
50%+ Cities implement or improve cultural policies after attending
Highlights from our recent Summits
Video
Keynote conversation with Lonnie Bunch III
Lonnie G. Bunch III, Former 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in conversation with Justine Simons OBE, Founder of World Cities Culture Forum, as part of the 2025 Amsterdam Summit.
Publication
2025 World Cities Trends Report
The World Cities Culture Trends Report 2025 highlights ten emerging trends in global cultural policy, based on insights from the World Cities Culture Summit 2024, hosted by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.
Video
Summit Highlights, Amsterdam 2025
Hosted by Amsterdam as part of their 750th anniversary celebrations, the 14th World Cities Culture Summit explored how cities can work together to strengthen culture in a changing world and foster global collaboration.
The full list of World Cities Culture Summits includes:
2026 – Tokyo
2025 – Amsterdam – View Summit Programme
2024 – Dubai – View Summit Programme
2023 – São Paulo – View Summit Programme
2022 – Helsinki
2021 – Global Conversations (online)
2020 – Cancelled (COVID-19)
2019 – Lisbon
2018 – San Francisco
2017 – Seoul
2016 – Moscow
2015 – London
2014 – Amsterdam
2013 – İstanbul
2012 – London