ABSTRACT
The notion that the Olympic Games should complement the showcase of elite sport competitions with a programme of arts and cultural activity was central to the vision of Pierre de Coubertin. This chapter starts with an overview of the evolution of the Games’ cultural programme, from its original presentation in the form of Olympic Art Competitions to its latest incarnation as a four-year Cultural Olympiad and its rise in prominence within the Winter Games and Paralympic Games. It then discusses key trends and challenges and ends by touching on the new culture frameworks emerging in the aftermath of the Agenda 2020 manifesto launched by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) in 2014 with substantial later revisions and amendments.
