Cities Ahead

The Cities Ahead programme supports ambitious European cultural and creative cities in attaining more international visibility and cultural appeal. At a two-day academy, renowned experts impart practical knowledge on international cultural urban development. Through a worldwide open call, cities receive further stimuli from the cultural and creative industries.

European cities can apply here to participate in Cities Ahead:

Application form

Info sheet(PDF, 296 KB)

Cities Ahead is a good opportunity for cities to reflect on what resources they have.

Charles Landry

Charles-Landry © Charles-Landry

Programme

The programme consists of two phases:

The Cities Ahead Academy consists of expert input and workshops to train local administrations and cultural actors in (international) cultural urban development
The two-day Cities Ahead Academy is organised locally in the participating city. The programme consists of three freely selectable modules (see below)
The Academy is open to employees from cultural administration, economic development, urban planning, offices for international relations, and tourism offices as well as employees of local cultural institutions
The optional Cities Ahead Open Call is a worldwide open call to promote innovative and participatory creative projects in the participating cities
The Cities Ahead Open Call offers the opportunity to involve artists and creatives as well as the local population in the urban development process

Modules

Building Creative City Ecosystems
Establishing cities as cultural centres and developing creative districts
Leveraging Culture for Sustainability
Utilising the potential of culture for sustainability-oriented urban development
Crafting Cultural Strategies
Strategic planning in cities and regions
Joining International Networks
Harnessing international initiatives for urban development
Working with Cultural Data
Collecting data and using it for urban development
Enabling Cultural Participation
Utilising citizen participation and involving communities in urban development

FAQ

Participating cities

Cities Ahead Bamberg

The Cities Ahead Academy Bamberg was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the City of Bamberg on 20 and 21 October 2025.

© Stadt Bamberg, Jürgen Schraudner © Stadt Bamberg, Jürgen Schraudner
Cities Ahead Essen

In partnership with the City of Essen’s culture department, the Goethe-Institut hosted the Cities Ahead Academy Essen at St. Gertrud Church’s former community hall on July 3 and 4, 2025.

© Jörg Hemmen © Jörg Hemmen
Cities Ahead Krefeld

The Cities Ahead Academy Krefeld was hosted by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the City of Krefeld on May 19 and 20, 2025 in the old Krefeld Stadtbad.

© Dirk Jochmann © Dirk Jochmann
Cities Ahead Rüsselsheim am Main

The Cities Ahead Academy Rüsselsheim am Main was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the City of Rüsselsheim am Main on 04 and 05 March 2025.

© Volker Dziemballa © Volker Dziemballa
Cities Ahead Oldenburg

The Cities Ahead Academy Oldenburg was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the City of Oldenburg on 23 and 24 September 2024 at the Forum St. Peter Oldenburg.

© Jörg Hemmen © Jörg Hemmen
Cities Ahead Málaga

The Cities Ahead Málaga was organised by the Goethe-Institut in collaboration with Malaga City Council on 14 and 15 May 2024.

Photo: Álvaro Cabreras © Goethe-Institut Madrid Photo: Álvaro Cabreras © Goethe-Institut Madrid
Cities Ahead Göttingen

The Cities Ahead Academy Göttingen was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the City of Göttingen on 13 and 14 May 2024 at the Goethe-Institut Göttingen.

© Valentin Grüning © Valentin Grüning
Cities Ahead Hamm

The Cities Ahead Academy Hamm was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the city of Hamm on 29 February and 1 March 2024 at the Gustav-Lübcke-Museum Hamm.

© City of Hamm © City of Hamm
Cities Ahead Bielsko-Biała

The Cities Ahead Academy Bielsko-Biała was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the city of Bielsko-Biała on 18 and 19 January 2024.

© City of Bielsko-Biała © City of Bielsko-Biała
Cities Ahead Logroño

The Cities Ahead Academy Logroño was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the Cultural Department of the City of Logroño and Museo Würth La Rioja on 28 April 2023.

© Lukas Miller © Lukas Miller
Cities Ahead Augsburg

The Cities Ahead Academy Augsburg was organised by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the Department for Culture, World Heritage and Sport of the City of Augsburg from 1-3 February 2023.

© Lukas Miller © Lukas Miller