Record 20 places bid for title of UK City of Culture 2025

A record 20 places from across the UK have submitted an expression of interest to become the UK City of Culture 2025 - an all time high of entries for the competition.

Delivered by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the competition uses culture as a catalyst for levelling up areas outside London and putting new parts of the UK on the cultural map internationally.

Bidding for the title in its own right has been shown to have a hugely positive impact on a place, for example previous longlisted bids have used the bidding process to bring together lasting local, national and international partners, share a vision for their area and attract investment. This year, DCMS are awarding grants of £40,000 to successful longlisted places for the first time to support their long applications.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “This record number of applications from all four corners of the country is testament to the huge success of City of Culture in generating investment, creating jobs and boosting local pride. This prestigious prize creates a fantastic opportunity for towns and cities to build back better from the pandemic and I wish all bidders the very best of luck.”

Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 is providing a blueprint for how culture can be at the heart of social and economic recovery. The city has already attracted over £100 million so far in capital investment to support cultural projects, such as Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry Cathedral and Belgrade Theatre, among many others.