First-ever UK Town of Culture competition launched
Thousands of towns around the country have a chance to become the UK's first-ever Town of Culture as part of a new competition aimed at raising local pride. The competition will take place alongside the existing UK City of Culture competition, which was won by Bradford in 2025. Three finalists will be chosen by an expert panel, with the winner receiving a £3 million reward and two runners-up receiving £250,000 each. It was launched as part of the government's efforts to restore pride in communities,
with applicants encouraged to share their unique stories,
according to the government.
Towns can apply now and the best candidates will advance to a shortlist, with each shortlisted town receiving £60,000 in funding for their final bid. When the winning town launches a year-long celebration of cultural events, the first title will be awarded for 2028. The competition, according to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, was a chance for towns to make a real difference to their local community.
Great culture is not limited to our country's largest metropolitan centers; it is everywhere, embedded in communities around the country. From brass bands to Northern Soul,
her Wigan constituency is most proud
of its contribution to British culture, she said. Sir Phil Redmond, the television presenter who created Grange Hill, Brookside, and Hollyoaks, is chairing the panel that will select the UK Town of Culture for 2028.
he told BBC Breakfast. With pitches focusing on each place'sReality is all about celebration, and that means we should know why your town is so popular,
unique story,he said the panel wants to hear
very proud tradition of ceramicspassionate, authentic voices. Isla Telford, co-founder of Urban Wilderness CIC, is on a pitch for the town of Longton, Staffordshire, England. According to Breakfast, the town has a
as well as a annualgiant carnival
that tells the tale of a pig.It's a very nice neighborhood, we're looking after each other.
she said.We have creativity and talent running through our veins,
Nic Sims, the town of Ledbury, Herefordshire, is one of the highlights of the local art gallery and poetry festival.
he said at Breakfast. Grimsby, Lincolnshire, is another town planning to enter, although one resident told the BBC that he has beenIt's about bringing the rural element of what we've got around us, which really makes these regions unique,
overlookedin the past. According to the Scotsman newspaper, Paisley and Perth are both potential bidders for the award. Based on what has been done in the places that received the award, Sir Phil said the effect on the winning town could be huge, depending on what's happened in the cities that won the UK City of Culture award. About a decade later, you see a
second waveas young people from the area's youth rise to local positions of authority and ask,
Why can't we do it again?says the mayor.
massively,. The impact in Bradford, which has just completed its year as City of Culture, has been felt
It reignited our pride on a scale we couldn't imagine,said Richard Dunbar, who led audience engagement for the city's program.
It gives you the pride,he told the BBC. During 2025, millions more people visited the city, and the investment supported thousands of activities and education for young people, according to Dunbar.
he said,but what it also does is gives the area and the people the opportunity to discover how good their place is, how good the arts are, and how good they can tell their story.
Towns of all sizes are encouraged to apply for the title. While towns like Reading, Luton, and Northampton have populations that are larger than those towns, they will also be eligible for UK Town of Culture because they do not have city status. Greater London has the only towns that are unable to apply. The competition's three finalists will include one small town (under 20,000 people), one medium town (20,000 to 75,000), and one large town (over 75,000). The government intends to announce a shortlist in the spring, with the winner chosen by early 2027. The initiative, according to the government, is part of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's "ambition to reclaim all parts of the United Kingdom. It came as a result of the government's Pride in Place campaign, which has increased up to £10 billion in support to 244 towns around the country.
