Olympics cultural programme
Cultural programmes have been part of the Olympic Games in different ways over the years. In the early days, from 1912 to just after World War II in 1948, art competitions were held alongside the Summer Games. Since 1952, a series of culture events has run before and during each Games. From the 1990s to the 2010s they were called the Cultural Olympiad or Olympic Arts Festival, and more recently they are often called the Cultural Programme of the Olympics. Some Winter Games also had cultural programmes.
The ancient Olympic Games in Olympia were both a festival and a religious celebration honoring Zeus. The site had temples and a famous gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus, one of the ancient world’s wonders. Art and culture were important at the ancient Games, with poets and artists taking part in events and competitions.
In the modern era, Baron Pierre de Coubertin helped bring the arts back into the Olympics. At a 1906 meeting in Paris, leaders approved five arts competitions—architecture, sculpture, painting, literature, and music. The first official art competitions were part of the 1912 Games in Stockholm and were called the “Pentathlon of the Muses.” The events drew many visitors, including thousands of artworks in Los Angeles in 1932. After World War II, the art competitions stopped, with the last one held in 1948.
The 1952 Helsinki Games did not include an arts programme. From 1954 to 1990, the Olympic authorities asked host cities to show the best of their culture and to promote international understanding through arts and culture. In 1968, Mexico hosted a big Festival of Performing Arts and other cultural events.
Starting with the 1992 Barcelona Games, the Cultural Olympiad became a regular feature. It runs for several years before the Games and includes major events during the Games. The idea is to celebrate culture and help people enjoy the Olympics beyond sports. The events are not competitive and are organized by the host city’s organizing committee.
The 2012 London Games featured an extensive Cultural Olympiad, including the London 2012 Festival and other partnerships like the World Shakespeare Festival. The 2016 Rio Games planned a Cultural Olympiad too, but funding problems meant there was less formal programming and more spontaneous events, such as flash mobs. For the Tokyo 2020 Games, planned culture events were canceled because of the pandemic, and a virtual cultural program was held instead.
Today, the term “Cultural Olympiad” is largely replaced by “Cultural Programme.” It usually starts about four years before the Games. A “Culture Festival” typically begins about two months before the Games and continues through the Paralympics. In 2020, Olympic leaders introduced a new strategy to strengthen the partnership between sport and culture, supported by the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:50 (CET).