Town of Culture to receive £3.5 million

It has been announced that the winning Town of Culture will receive £3.5 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028.

The UK Town of Culture competition will be targeted at small and medium sized towns.

Shortlisted towns will receive £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition.

Applications will be judged on the story of the town, how the town will design and cultural programme for everyone and how they will deliver it.

The UK City of Culture 2029 competition has also gone live, with cities, large towns, regions and groupings of places across the UK invited to apply.

£10 million will be awarded to the UK City of Culture winner. 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.

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."

During its year as UK City of Culture, over 11,000 pupils have benefitted from Bradford 2025 education programmes; over 40,000 local people participated in cultural events in the programme; and over 2,000 people from every ward in the district have volunteered.

Expressions of Interest for UK City of Culture 2029 are now open and 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."