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A record 20 places from across the UK have put in a bid to
become the UK City of Culture 2025
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Bids received from every nation in the UK as regions and
groups of towns were encouraged to apply
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The new winner will be announced next year and will be at the
centre of the UK’s cultural spotlight in 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 this prestigious competition.
The competition, delivered by the Department for Digital,
Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in collaboration with the
devolved administrations, uses culture as a catalyst for
levelling up areas outside London and putting new parts of the UK
on the cultural map internationally.
Entrants have been tasked with proving that they can put culture
at the heart of their plans to recover from the impact of the
pandemic.
Regions and groups of towns have been encouraged to apply in this
competition, with a number stepping forward from across the UK.
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.
To ensure as many places as possible across the country can take
up this opportunity, DCMS are awarding grants of £40,000 to
successful longlisted places for the first time to support their
long applications.
The winner, which will be announced next year, will take on the
baton from Coventry as the 2021 UK City of Culture and be at the
centre of the UK’s cultural spotlight in 2025.
The benefits to the winner of the title are huge, attracting
millions of visitors and investment and bringing communities
together to showcase the place where they live to the country and
the world.
Throughout the history of this competition the winning cities
have always benefited from financial support to ensure the
programme’s success and lasting legacy. Coventry has received
over £15.5 million from the Government to directly support its
year as UK City of Culture.
Culture Secretary 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.”
Sir Phil Redmond, Chair of the City of Culture Expert Advisory
Panel, said:
“From Derry-Londonderry to Hull and Coventry it has been a
difficult and rewarding challenge to select the next UK City of
Culture, and the list of potential candidates for 2025 indicates
that life in the immediate future is going to be even more
challenging!
“The three previous title holders have demonstrated the
transformative and catalytic effect culture can bring about, even
within places that have been ultimately unsuccessful but have
gone on to develop collaborative and sustainable partnerships.
“The list for 2025 also demonstrates the breadth of ambition,
aspiration and innovation that exists from coast to coast and
nation to nation across the UK and I am looking forward to that
challenge of immersing myself once again in the UK’s rich seam of
creativity.”
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.
City of Culture status also had a huge impact on Hull and
Derry-Londonderry. Hull saw more than 5.3 million visits to over
2,800 events, cultural activities, installations and exhibitions.
75% of those who visited Hull in 2017 stated that it changed
their perception of the city for the better and 9 out of 10
people in Hull thought that UK City of Culture had a positive
impact on the city and more than nine-in-ten residents took part
in at least one cultural activity.
The twenty bidders will be reduced to an initial long list of
bidders in the coming weeks and then cut down further to a final
shortlist in early 2022. The winner will be announced in May
2022.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For information on Coventry City of Culture 2021 please see:
https://coventry2021.co.uk/
Full list of bidders:
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon
The City of Bangor and Northwest Wales
The Borderlands region, comprising Dumfries and Galloway,
Scottish Borders, Northumberland, Cumbria and Carlisle City
Bradford
Conwy County
Cornwall
Derby
County Durham
Lancashire
Medway
City of Newport
Powys
Southampton
Stirling
The Tay Cities region
Torbay and Exeter
Wakefield District
City of Wolverhampton
Wrexham County Borough
Great Yarmouth & East Suffolk
