New Town of Culture competition to shine a spotlight on the contribution of towns that tell national story
Towns encouraged to apply for new UK Town of Culture competition opening in the coming weeks
- Winning town will receive £3.5 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028
- UK City of Culture 2029 competition also open for applications
The contribution of towns across the country will be celebrated through a new UK Town of Culture competition launched by the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy today.
The UK Town of Culture competition will be targeted at small and medium sized towns, enabling them to tell their unique story and shining a spotlight on the important role that towns play in our national life.
It has been confirmed today that the winning town will be awarded £3.5 million to help them deliver a cultural programme during the summer of 2028, harnessing what makes their town special. Shortlisted towns will receive £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition.
Applications for the competition will be judged on three main criteria:
- Your story - the unique story of the town
- Culture for everyone - how the town will design a cultural programme for all
- Making it happen - how the town will then deliver a successful programme
Separately, the UK City of Culture 2029 competition has gone live today with expressions of interest able to be submitted, from cities, large towns, regions and groupings of places across the UK invited to apply.
For the first time ever, there will be a confirmed cash prize of £10 million for the UK City of Culture winner to help them deliver a show-stopping year of rich cultural activity rooted in their unique identities and drawing on local strengths and stories.
To encourage as many places as possible across the country to bid and to benefit from the UK City of Culture process, all longlisted places will receive £60,000 each to help them to develop their full bids for the competition. The three most impressive bids from places that reach the shortlist but are not selected as the winner will receive £125,000 each to help them to take forward elements of their bid and deliver real change for their local area.
The criteria for UK City of Culture has also been updated to make the competition more accessible to large towns, focusing on creating transformational opportunities and richer lives for people across the UK, delivering local impact and empowering communities to shape their bids.
Both competitions support the government’s Plan for Change mission to break down barriers to opportunity, driving local economic growth and creating jobs across the UK as we head towards a decade of national renewal.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:
For far too long, too many people have felt left out of our national story. These competitions are our chance to change that by shining a light on the places that have shaped our cultural life, but haven’t always had the recognition they deserve.
We already know from UK City of Culture that winning, and even bidding for, these titles brings real benefits - jobs, investment, and opportunities for people to get creative and learn new skills. Now I want towns to be able to get these benefits too and that is why I am proud to launch the UK Town of Culture competition.
Every place has a story worth telling so I want to encourage towns across the UK to step forward and show us what makes them special.
The competitions will build on the success of the UK City of Culture programme, which has seen significant lasting and transformative impacts across the winning places, Derry-Londonderry, Hull, Coventry and Bradford, extending well beyond the title year. This includes over £1 billion of additional investment added to local economies of past host cities, increased jobs, tourism and local pride.
Bradford is already delivering significant benefits during its year as UK City of Culture. Within the first six months of the programme:
- Over 11,000 pupils have benefitted from Bradford 2025 education programmes
- Over 40,000 local people participated in cultural events in the programme
- Over 2,000 people from every ward in the district have volunteered, and
- Over 4,000 people have benefitted from Bradford 2025 training programmes.
Expressions of Interest for UK City of Culture 2029 are now open. Applications for Town of Culture 2028 will open shortly.
Chair of the UK City of Culture independent expert advisory panel, Sir Phil Redmond said:
The UK City of Culture competition is a huge prize and one well worth bidding for as witnessed by the positive impact the year has had on Derry-Londonderry, Hull, Coventry and already now in Bradford.
It is great therefore, that the new Town of Culture competition will allow more places to experience the catalytic effect that culture can deliver, while raising awareness both internally and externally across the UK. That in turn brings increased visitors, a greater sense of local pride and a deeper understanding of what binds our four nations together.
Dan Bates, Executive Director and Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture:
Bradford 2025 is the first UK City of Culture to be embedded in its surrounding district, reaching far beyond the city centre into villages, towns and the countryside. We’ve seen the real impact that has made - from artists bringing creativity to care home residents, vibrant murals bringing colour to the streets, performances in parks instilling community pride, and investment in cultural buildings ensuring access to the arts for years to come - all celebrating Bradford and making it an even better place to live.
Delivering this designation has been a huge privilege, and as we prepare to pass the baton on to the next holder of the UK City of Culture title, we’re delighted to be supporting the launch of the new Town of Culture competition.
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council said:
Today the Secretary of State for Culture has seen some of the wonderful cultural institutions, both old and new, that have played a key part in this year and will now go on to be important part of our future beyond 2025.
We’ve made sure, from day one, that our year as UK City of Culture has reflected the whole of the district and the brilliant and diverse communities we have here. There are so many wonderful stories of the people and the place being told this year. It’s that authenticity that I’d commend to other cities who are thinking about putting in their own bid for the 2029 competition.
Notes to editors:
- The 2029 UK City of Culture competition is now open for Expressions of Interest for the next ten weeks. The winning place will be announced by the end of 2026 following the announcements of the longlist and shortlist of applicants.
- The bids for the 2029 title will be assessed by an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Phil Redmond. He is joined by Claire McColgan, Director of Culture, Liverpool City Council and Associate Director, Liverpool City Region, as Deputy Chair. Recruitment for the wider panel members will open shortly, and we encourage applicants from across the UK. Further details will be available in due course.
- For more information on how to bid for the UK City of Culture 2029 title, please go to: UK City of Culture 2029 Expression of Interest: guidance for bidders