Spain to host UNESCO’s MONDIACULT 2025 in Barcelona

The event, scheduled from 29 September to 1 October 2025, will build on the outcomes of MONDIACULT 2022, held in Mexico City.

The 2022 conference was pivotal, with its final declaration endorsing the integration of culture as a standalone goal in the post-2030 development agenda and affirming culture as a “global public good.” The upcoming 2025 edition will expand on this foundation by presenting the first-ever global report on the state of culture, developed over the past three years.

“MONDIACULT is a major event during which the 194 Member States of UNESCO work together to define the global agenda for culture,” UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay said.

MONDIACULT, the world’s largest cultural policy conference, will convene thousands of participants, including policymakers, artists, civil society representatives, and youth, to address key challenges and opportunities for the future of culture. Discussions at the 2025 conference will focus on six themes and two priority areas that reflect the evolving landscape of cultural policies.

As a major advocacy platform, MONDIACULT 2025 aims to reinforce the importance of cultural rights and build consensus for establishing culture as a standalone goal within the next United Nations development strategy. With the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda nearing its conclusion, the event will be a decisive moment for advancing this objective.

An inclusive approach

UNESCO has emphasised the need for inclusivity, ensuring the participation of diverse stakeholders in shaping the cultural roadmap. By fostering collaboration among policymakers, civil society, artists, and young people, MONDIACULT 2025 seeks to promote cultural rights for all and uphold their importance on a global scale.

The Barcelona forum is set to solidify the role of culture as a critical component of sustainable development, with its outcomes expected to influence cultural policies worldwide for years to come.

Read more about MONDIACULT 2025 here.