Gurudev is the founder of the World Culture Festival (WCF), a global event series of Olympic proportions that has welcomed over 7 million people from around the world. The festival seeks to revive local cultures and foster a more compassionate, harmonious society by uniting people in celebration.
Through music, dance, global cuisine, meditation, and dialogue, WCF offers a vibrant exchange of cultural traditions—honoring both the diversity of our backgrounds and the shared spirit that connects us as one global family. Past attendees have included heads of state, diplomats, spiritual leaders, artists, performers, and dignitaries from across the world.
“The purpose of the World Culture Festival is to send a message that the whole world is one family and we can all coexist with our differences. It is an opportunity for leaders from all segments of society–business, politics, religion, academia–to come together and renew their vision to work for the common welfare.
The Festival provides a platform for the preservation of local and indigenous traditions through music and dance as well as the opportunity for everyone else to relish and enjoy. This is a movement for the revival of universal human values such as love, compassion, and friendliness.” – Gurudev
Culture builds bridges, culture breaks down walls, culture brings a world together through dialogue and mutual understanding. Culture enhances unity and harmony among peoples and nations. And culture can create powerful exchanges between all global citizens…I commend Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s inspiring vision of unity, diversity, and global citizens. We need more of these very sorts of celebrations. We need more coming together, more peace and meditation, more cooperation, solidarity, and partnership.
In America, our motto is ‘E pluribus unum’ or ‘Out of many, One’. This motto resonates with this group because it takes all of us to build a brighter and safer future for our children around the world.
In a world often marked by divisions, this festival highlights our ability to celebrate diversity while embracing our common humanity.
We know that hundreds of thousands of people will join us this weekend here to celebrate peace and humanity. But we know that this celebration will also inspire in their hearts peace, kindness, and a love of the global community.
The big challenges of the day… cannot be effectively addressed in isolation. Bringing the world together has become even more important… It is important that in an interdependent world, we are always there for one another. The Art of Living has been an inspirational example in this regard.
Impact: At A Glance
1.1M attendees
180 countries
17K artists
50 performances
3.75M attendees
36,600 artists and performers
2,500 religious and spiritual leaders
110 countries
70K attendees
6K artists and dignitaries
151 countries
2.5M attendees
3,800 musicians and performers
750 political and business leaders
1K spiritual and religious leaders