A panoramic view of Lalitpur, the newly recognized UNESCO Creative City of Music | image courtesy: Saugat Shrestha
Lalitpur Metropolitan City of Nepal has officially been recognized as a UNESCO Creative City of Music. The announcement was made on World Cities Day 2025 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO.
In a statement, UNESCO said the prestigious title honors Lalitpur’s vibrant musical heritage and its unwavering commitment to creativity as a foundation for sustainable urban development. “This is a historic achievement for every resident and musician of Lalitpur and a proud moment for all of Nepal,” the statement read.
With this recognition, Nepal now has two cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), Kathmandu for Film and now Lalitpur for Music.
Launched in 2004, the UCCN connects cities that use creativity as a strategic driver for sustainable development including economic, social, cultural, and environmental growth.
UNESCO says the cities in this network learn from each other, boost their local creative industries, and work together toward the United Nations’ 2030 goals for sustainable development.
The network currently spans eight creative fields, including music, film, design, literature, gastronomy, crafts, media arts, and more.
Alongside Lalitpur, other cities announced this year as Creative Cities of Music include Kyiv (Ukraine), Liège (Belgium), New Orleans (USA), Nikšić (Montenegro), and Wuxi (China).
UNESCO had earlier named Kathmandu a Creative City of Film, following which Mayor Balen Shah attended the Cannes Film Festival in France to represent Nepal’s growing creative landscape.
