The George Town Festival is a month-long celebration of the inscription of George Town on the UNESCO World Heritage Listing on 7th July, 2008. Scheduled to be an annual event, the Festival is a feast of theatre, music, dance, film, art, opera, food, fashion, photography, and inspirational talks. The primary objective of the Festival is to provide a platform to promote arts and culture and to engage all stakeholders to work collectively with the aim of stimulating Penang's economy and its presence as a tourism destination. The Festival acts as a catalyst to advance art and heritage education, promote dialogue, and encourage mutual understanding between urban communities of the past and present. The 2011 Festival features more than 80 programmes which promote arts and heritage in Penang, made possible with the concerted effort of the Penang State Government, Municipal Council of Penang Island, George Town World Heritage Incorporated, Penang Global Tourism and the various communities of Penang. The 2010 Festival attracted an overall audience of over 600,000 people, and tourists from over 42 countries. This year the Festival is expected to draw audiences of over 1 million, both locally and regionally. OBJECTIVES To celebrate George Town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and to showcase the unique diversity of our culture and heritage. To present an annual International festival of the highest standards to showcase local and international performances and enrich the cultural environment of Penang. To serve as a catalyst in raising wider public interest in the arts and to encourage cultural exchange and dialogue.