Is it any wonder, with its ancient sea port, and an ambitious cultural package that features more than 74 artistic projects for a budget of 98 billion euros, the bustling and cosmopolitan city of Marseille, with more than one million inhabitants, beat its French rivals, Lyon, Toulouse and Bordeaux to be announced winners of the European Capital of Culture in 2013.

Whilst Marseille’s excitement at being crowned the queen of culture in 2013 may have finally settled down, the news that there is to be a merger between Orange and the Marseille-Provence 2013 European Capital of Culture has ruffled Marseille’s colourful cultural feathers once more, as the event is now anticipated to be a major technological showcase as well as a cultural one.

In the year 2013, Marseille, the largest city on the Cote d’Azur, will hold hundreds of artistic and cultural events, which will bring the whole province flamboyantly alive.

But now, through the strong partnership with Orange, the 400 planned events will be accessible to an expected audience of 10 million, as the spectacular occasions and events taking place on the Cote d’Azur will now be transmitted in real time, thanks to a series of innovative technology and services.

Through the use of augmented reality, GPS positioning will be available, enabling spectators to interactively share their favourite moments of this monumental occasion on the Cote d’Azur, but particularly Marseille, with friends and family.

The 2013 European Capital of Culture events will pool all the assets and strengths of Marseille and the Cote d’Azur province together, with the government, public authorities, leading institutions and some of the region’s most prominent artists, uniting together to become a single dynamic force.

The city of Marseille has never been a stranger to producing avant-garde, inspiring and innovative projects, events, artwork and architecture, but in 2013 this cosmopolitan French city promises to take the meaning of cultural innovation to new heights.

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