Culture and Events Programme : Germany

The list of cultural projects is long and ranges from an international choral encounter, a youth orchestra competition and a joint performance by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Scorpions to participation in the founding of an orchestra for 20th-century music; from Peter Stein’s production of Goethe’s “Faust” and the annual Hanover Dance Festival (which will be broadened in scope by the year 2000) to an international theater festival which will take place under the name “Theater-forms”. This largest German festival, which will feature performances spanning the theatrical spectrum from classical drama to the avant-garde, will involve the stages of the cities of Hanover and Brunswick as well as the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture.

In the runup to EXPO 2000, a special sailing regatta will publicize the World Exposition all over the world. Starting in the fall of 1998, about 100 yachts will set sail from Lisbon in different directions to circumvent the globe. In the course of this “Millennium Odyssey”, a flame lit in Jerusalem will be passed on to communities in 40 destination ports on all six continents as a symbol of peace and friendship.

Each year until 1999, the world’s top eight tennis professionals will compete in Hanover for the world championship. EXPO 2000 will thus present itself to a global audience numbering in the millions. Other major events to date have been the German Open Triathlon (June 1997) and the Women’s Handball World Championships (December 1997).