Germany Pulls Out All The Stops For Cultural World Cup

The cultural program which will precede the month-long tournament certainly doesn't lack scope or diversity. Some 48 projects featuring exhibits, theatrical performances, concerts, films and parties will aim to show those at home and those arriving in advance of the competition that Germany is a cosmopolitan and culturally rich country.

The German government has made over 30 million euros ($36 million) available for the World Cup cultural program and has placed the responsibility and the money to make it happen in the hands of Austrian André Heller.

The majority of that budget is already earmarked for the opening gala, the first of its kind for a World Cup. Swallowing up an impressive 23 million euros, the gala will kick-off the World Cup by bringing months of cultural events to a close. A visual and aural spectacular has been promised for those lucky enough to find themselves in Berlin's Olympic stadium on June 7, just two days before hosts Germany take on Costa Rica in the first game in Munich.

Promising a lot more than the usual "banal" galas which raise the curtain on huge sporting events, Heller has promised a unique show detailing "the history of soccer presented on stage" in Germany's "biggest chance to present itself to the world since unification."

World Cup globe rolls its way back to Berlin

While the gala in June will be the piece de resistance of the many months of events, the spherical heart of the cultural program has been rolling along for some time now. The World Cup globe, the traveling centerpiece of the public awareness campaign since September 2003, will continue on its journey up until the very start of the tournament where it will end its tour of the 12 host cities where it began -- in Berlin.

The German capital, the setting for the World Cup final on July 9, will also be hosting the "Rundlederwelten" (Round Leather World) exhibition from Jan. 8 for all those fans who see the game beyond the objective of kicking ball between posts. Videos, installations, photos and sculptures depicting every aspect of soccer from around the world will be on display at various locations around the city.

Berlin won't be alone in staging soccer-themed exhibitions. Leipzig will host the "Man of the Rules" exhibit from March 3, a display of artworks dedicated to referees: Cologne will be the location for a collection of works on the world's greatest players from March 4, the "Fascination Football" exhibit comes to Hamburg from April 30 and Munich will stage the "Football: One Game – Many Worlds" exhibit.

As well as art, there will be dance performances such as the premiere of German choreographer Deborah Colker's piece "Maracana" on Jan. 25 and William Forsythe's "Football/Footfall Project" in Frankfurt on March 24.

Art, dance and music await fans traveling to Germany

Music will of course feature heavily in the run-up to the World Cup with the opportunity for fans to get their larynxes warmed up at the numerous city festivals between January and the end of the tournament. Highlights of the popular music schedule include a number of high profile concerts in June and July at the FIFA World Cup Stadium Gelsenkirchen (below).

Rock legends Simple Minds and Status Quo strut their stuff on June 8 and 28 respectively while German upstarts Tokio Hotel provide teen-punk noise on July 6. In between, the Gypsy Kings will play the stadium on June 29.

For lovers of classical music, there will be a free open air concert by the Berlin Symphony Orchestra on July 2 in the capital.

In addition, with some of the world's most famous party people in town, almost every street is expected to get some kind of soundtrack, be it samba or African beats.

Soccer, soccer and more soccer...

If nearly four weeks of professional, world-class soccer is not enough for the insatiable fan, there will be different teams from all over the world taking part in the "streetfootballworld festival 06" in the Berlin district of Kreuzberg from July 1-8. Players from some of the world's most disadvantaged nations will compete while other events carry on around the competition.

In Stuttgart, there will be festival of a different kind when UNESCO sets up its World Youth Festival from July 2-10.

And not forgetting, of course, the small matter of finding out who the best team in the world is. The FIFA 2006 World Cup itself runs from June 9 to July 9, just in case you get too caught up in everything else.