Kozhikode and Gwalior joins UNESCO Creative Cities Network

On the occasion of World Cities Day, two Indian cities were added to the UNESCO Creative Cities list- Kerala’s Kozhikode and Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior. Kozhikode has been named the ‘City of Literature’ and Gwalior as the ‘City of Music.’ 

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network was started in 2004 to promote cooperation between cities that have a strong sense of creativity and culture as a developmental factor. Currently, there are 350 creative cities in more than 100 countries, spanning creative fields such as  Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Music etc. 

Kozhikode holds the Kerela Literature Festival every year. With more than 500 libraries and 70 book publishers, it became the first Indian city to get this title. Gwalior has a rich musical history as legends like Tansen and Balti Bawra belonged to this city. Also, it hosts various musical houses and festivals. 

The newly selected 55 cities from around the world will participate in the 2024 UCCN Annual Conference from 1st July to 5th July 2024 in Braga, Portugal. The theme for the event is ‘Bringing Youth to the Table for the Next Decade.’