After the UNESCO tag, what’s next for Lalitpur’s musicians?

Lalitpur’s ‘Creative City of Music’ designation brings global visibility, but musicians warn that inclusion, education and long-term support will determine its real impact.

Lalitpur, a city known as much for its courtyards and brick-lined alleys as for its living traditions, was declared a UNESCO Creative City of Music on October 31, 2025, coinciding with World Cities Day. The recognition places the historic city within UNESCO’s global Creative Cities Network, which promotes culture as a driver of sustainable urban development. The announcement came as UNESCO named 58 new cities worldwide across creative fields, while neighbouring city Kathmandu continues to hold its designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Film , granted in 2023.