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Chile’s Minister of Culture, Ernesto Ottone, congratulates the community: “We are pleased that a city from the regions is showing that the creative industries can be an essential part of development strategies in a culturally rich and diverse country like ours,” said Minister Ottone.

Today, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognised Frutillar as a Creative City of Music, adding it to the select group of 30 cities worldwide that stand out for the contribution of cultural industries to the economic and social development of their communities.

The town, located in the Los Lagos region (southern Chile), has a population of 17,500 and annually receives 250,000 visitors who come to attend the Musical Weeks festival and performances at the Teatro del Lago. Such is the importance of cultural activity in Frutillar that music alone accounts for 5.4% of the town’s total annual sales, 57 times higher than the national average.

Minister of Culture, Ernesto Ottone, emphasised the significance of this designation. “We want to congratulate the community of Frutillar for establishing itself as the first city in Chile to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its contribution through music. Without a doubt, the Musical Weeks and the presence of a privileged venue like Teatro del Lago have had a positive impact. We are delighted that a city from the regions is demonstrating that the creative industries can be an essential part of development strategies in a culturally rich and diverse country like ours.”

Cecilia Barbieri, acting director of the UNESCO Office in Santiago, also celebrated the designation: “Frutillar has long been committed to culture and music, which are central to its sustainable development strategy. This small town at the start of Chilean Patagonia draws on its musical tradition to make culture more accessible to all its residents, while also advancing towards greater equity in access to quality education. Its inspiring landscapes and the spirit of its people are a testament to the role of creativity in the development of local communities, their regions, and countries.”

Frutillar’s mayor, Claus Lindemann, welcomed the news: “This recognition marks the culmination of a long journey of effort and culture for Frutillar. It’s a great honour to become part of this globally significant network and a tremendous boost for local development, rooted in one of our most distinctive features: music.”

Frutillar has a rich musical heritage, rooted in the choral traditions of German settlers, which has deeply embedded music in the local community. This unique cultural fusion has created a hallmark that identifies Frutillar as Chile’s iconic city of music.

Harriet Eeles, President of the Frutillar Musical Weeks Corporation, expressed pride: “As a Cultural Corporation, we are very proud that our more than 50-year-long trajectory has contributed to this recognition by UNESCO. I believe this great dream of becoming a Creative City of Music has been a tremendous effort by the whole community and everyone working towards cultural development here in Frutillar. This opens up new horizons for us, which is particularly motivating and commits us to take further steps to make music a tool for the community’s holistic development.”

Joining this network will bring multiple benefits for Frutillar, including establishing connections with other cities that share this recognition, exchanging experiences, best practices, and collaborative commitments, and helping to position the city internationally. Additionally, Frutillar commits to a series of actions to deepen the impact of the creative industry on community development. Some of the initiatives outlined during the application process include developing work plans to position creativity as a skill in school learning, implementing social inclusion programmes through art, creating incentives for artists to come to Frutillar to compose, and establishing artist residencies and exchanges in collaboration with Katowice (Poland), among other projects.

Other cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities of Music Network include Liverpool and Glasgow (United Kingdom), Bologna (Italy), Hannover and Mannheim (Germany), Seville (Spain), Adelaide (Australia), Bogotá and Medellín (Colombia).