India will host the second BRICS Culture Working Group (CWG) Meeting in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on June 4–5, 2026, as part of its BRICS Chairship for 2026. The announcement was made by Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal during a press conference in New Delhi attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Culture and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
The two-day meeting will bring together representatives from BRICS member nations to strengthen cultural cooperation and promote dialogue under India’s BRICS 2026 theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
The discussions will focus on three key priority areas. The first is the creative economy, cultural and creative industries, copyright, and the impact of artificial intelligence on cultural sectors. The second theme will address cultural heritage protection and the return of cultural property, reflecting growing international efforts to preserve and restore heritage assets. The third area will explore the relationship between culture, climate change, and sustainable development, highlighting the role of culture in achieving long-term global sustainability goals.
India has played a significant role in promoting cultural cooperation within BRICS. It previously hosted meetings of BRICS Culture Ministers in Goa in 2016 and New Delhi in 2021 and continues to provide leadership during its 2026 Chairship. The BRICS Culture Working Group operates under the 2015 agreement on cultural cooperation among BRICS nations and has expanded collaboration in areas such as heritage conservation, museums, archives, films, creative industries, and digital cultural ecosystems.
The Varanasi meeting is part of a broader BRICS Culture Track for 2026, which includes additional meetings, a cultural festival in Bhopal, a BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting, and a BRICS Theatre Festival in New Delhi. The deliberations are expected to strengthen cultural partnerships and encourage innovation-driven cooperation among BRICS countries.
