15 towns have been shortlisted for UK Town of Culture 2028 out of 400 entries.

For small towns, Ilfracombe, Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Sandown, Strabane, and Stockton Town Centre Ward made the shortlist.

Medium towns on the list include Corby, Great Yarmouth, Leith, Pontypridd, and Port Talbot.

Large towns that made the cut include Basildon, Birkenhead, Grimsby and Rotherham.

Those on the shortlist will now each receive £60,000 to develop their bids, which will then be assessed by and independent judging panel.

One finalist will be selected from each category and the overall winner will be announced next year.

The UK Town of Culture competition is part of the government’s ambition to restore pride in local areas in every part of Britain and deliver a decade of national renewal, following the announcement of the Pride in Place Programme last year.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "I want to say a massive congratulations to the fifteen shortlisted towns and I wish them luck in the next round of the competition.

"The fact that we received so many applications just goes to show how proud people are of their towns. When I launched this competition, I wanted to shine a light on our amazing towns all across the UK and the huge contribution they make to our national life.

"I am so glad that so many towns have applied and I hope each and every town, whether they have been shortlisted or not, is incredibly proud of the work they have done to champion their local community."

Chair of the independent panel, Sir Phil Redmond said: "The response to the competition has been, to say the least, overwhelming, quite literally from all four corners of the UK. It has been fantastic that nearly 400 towns have come forward, sharing their sense of pride, ambition and desire to demonstrate how much they have, and continue to contribute to our national story.

"That of course has made making the decision on the shortlist itself much more difficult, never mind the actual winners.

"I look forward to visiting those towns that have made the list and I am sure that, just like City of Culture, those that didn’t manage it will have found the experience of taking part worthwhile in strengthening partnerships, raising awareness and reminding us all of the depth and spread of the UK’s cultural landscape. I’d like to thank them all for that."