Overview
- UNESCO confirmed the title on October 31 at its 43rd General Conference in Samarkand, adding Lucknow to a 58-city intake that expands the Creative Cities Network to 408.
- The designation places Lucknow among 70 gastronomy cities worldwide and makes it India’s second in the category after Hyderabad’s 2019 entry.
- Uttar Pradesh’s tourism directorate led the bid, submitting the dossier on January 31 and securing national nomination on March 3, with research by Abha Narain Lambah documenting Awadhi recipes, oral histories and living foodways.
- State officials say the tag will support food-led tourism and livelihoods, citing 8,274,154 visitors in 2024 and more than 7,020,492 in the first half of 2025.
- Leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh welcomed the recognition, while authorities outline plans for training, market access for vendors and cooperation across the UCCN.