The 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games will be accompanied by a UK-wide festival celebrating "creativity and innovation".
The festival has been backed by £120m funding from the government and the intention is to showcase the best of the UK's art, culture, heritage, design and technology sectors.
Preparations for the festival will be led by Martin Green CBE, the chief creative officer of Birmingham 2022.
Green was head of ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London and also the mastermind behind the hugely successful Hull UK City of Culture 2017 festival.
Green and his team have now begun working with each individual sector across the UK to develop a "vision which engages communities across the UK".
"I believe art and culture have the power to bring people together, so I'm proud to be working on the project to showcase and celebrate the cultural dynamism of the UK," Green said.
Culture secretary Nicky Morgan added: "The festival will give us a fantastic opportunity to champion all that is great about the UK. It will be a tremendous showcase for our creativity and innovation."
