The Forum of Cultures (Catalan: Fòrum de les Cultures) is an international cultural event. The real name is "Universal Forum of Cultures".

The firsth Forum was in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain from May 9 to September 26, 2004. Was organized by the Barcelona's local council, the regional government (the Generalitat de Catalunya), the Spanish National Government and UNESCO.

The official aims of the 2004 Forum of Cultures included support for peace, sustainable development, human rights and respect for diversity.

The Fórum Barcelona 2004 had international conventions, performances, markets, games, 423 concerts, 57 street performances, 44 theatre, dance and cabaret companies, 20 circus performances and more than 20 exhibitions.

The epicentre of the events was a place at the far-east end of Avinguda Diagonal, the main street that dissects the city. The area - which lies alongside the sea - has been recently developed to house the event. It covered 30 hectares between Barcelona Olympic port and Sant Adrià de Besòs and culminated the urban regeneration programme started for the Barcelona Olympic Games of 1992. The new site comprises a convention center, central plaza, parks, auditoriums and a new port.

The event was controversial, with critics pointing to the $2.3 billion price tag and commercial sponsorship by multinationals with a dubious reputation in the Third World. Several groups also criticised the massive property and coastline destruction involved in building the Forum site. In addition, many NGOs, including Greenpeace and Amnesty, withdrew from the Forum project in protest. The official final attendance figure was around 3.5 million.

The 2007 Universal Forum of Cultures will be held in Monterrey, Mexico.

External link

• Universal Forum of Cultures web page