- UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES IN SPAIN
Different cities, the same commitment
Spain is one of the most active countries in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. With nine cities across five of the network's seven categories, Spain showcases the richness and diversity of its cultural fabric. Llíria and Seville represent Spanish music; Granada and Barcelona, literature; Bilbao, design; Valladolid and Terrassa, film; and Dénia and Burgos, gastronomy.
- UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES
The creative cities of Spain
SINCE 2006
★ Creative City of Music
World capital of flamenco and a benchmark for Andalusian and Ibero-American folk music.
SINCE 2014
★ Creative City of Literature
City of Lorca, Ibn Battuta, and the Alhambra, boasting a centuries-old literary tradition.
SINCE 2015
★ Creative City of Literature
Publishing capital of Spain and a beacon of Catalan culture across the globe.
SINCE 2014
★ Creative City of Design
Creative City of Design since 2014. Transformed by the Guggenheim effect, it serves as a European benchmark for urban design and contemporary architecture.
SINCE 2017
★ Creative City of Film
Host of the Seminci, one of Spain's most prestigious film festivals.
SINCE 2017
★ Creative City of Film
With a long-standing tradition in film production and exhibition throughout Catalonia.
SINCE 2017
★ Creative City of Gastronomy
The home of Quique Dacosta and the red prawn, a standard-bearer for Mediterranean haute cuisine.
SINCE 2017
★ Creative City of Gastronomy
Internationally renowned for its Castilian cuisine, celebrating prime local produce and culinary tradition.
SINCE 2019
★ Creative City of Music
Capital of Camp de Túria, featuring more than 2,000 years of musical heritage, century-old bands, and the highest percentage of musicians per capita in Europe.
SINCE 2025
★ Creative City of Gastronomy
Recognition of its culinary ecosystem, local produce, and the use of creativity and culture as drivers of sustainable urban development
- Llíria
On the Spanish Map of Creative Cities
★ Fórum Evolución Burgos
Llíria joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2019. Its national debut took place at the 2nd National Meeting of UNESCO Creative Cities, held at the Fórum Evolución in Burgos, where Llíria presented its musical city model to sister cities and national media outlets.
★ Music as a driver of social cohesion
The reception was extraordinary. Llíria's initiative—a town where 20% of residents play an instrument and where music has served as an engine of social cohesion for over 200 years—offered something radically different from other candidacies: not a sprawling cultural capital, but a mid-sized municipality with a musical culture ingrained to its core.
Want to learn more about Llíria, UNESCO Creative City?
UNESCO Creative City of Music
Llíria City of Music
· Institutional and Cultural Portal
· Llíria City Council
