Four cities are competing to be crowned UK City of Culture 2029

Winning the title of UK City of Culture can be absolutely transformational for anywhere that manages it. It’s an honour that comes with £10 million of government funding, for the provision of a year’s worth of cultural events and activities celebrating the winner’s unique history and atmosphere.

With any luck, it also leaves a bit of a lasting legacy, attracting new interest and investment to an unsung city (or large town). So far, the scheme has celebrated Hull, Derry, Coventry and Bradford, anointing a different city every four years. Now, the final four contenders of 2029 UK City of Culture have been announced.

Blackpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Wrexham will all get at least £125,000 from the government to refine their bid, and develop detailed plans for their year in the spotlight. They beat the likes of Inverness, Middlesbrough and Portsmouth, which were all part of the longlist revealed back in March. The winner will be announced in early 2027, giving it just enough time to make its schemes come true.

The 4 places bidding to become UK City of Culture in 2029

Blackpool

Unlike most contenders for the title, Blackpool is already a major tourist destination, with big attractions like the Pleasure Beach, the famous Illuminations and the Blackpool Tower luring in tens of thousands of domestic tourists every year. It’s known as a hub for dance, entertainment, and comedy, attracting glitzy spectacles including an annual episode of Strictly Come Dancing, and this history is celebrated in its Showtown museum.

Still, £10 million in funding would make sure this city could really get the show on the road. Council leader Lynn Williams has said: ‘Blackpool has been entertaining people for generations, and now we have the chance to show the country exactly what our town is made of [...] Blackpool has never been a town that stands still. It is a proud, working-class culture that has always been about bringing people together, having fun and making something happen.’

Milton Keynes

This city is often mocked for its many roundabouts and grey, concrete-ridden streets. But as the 60th anniversary of its founding looms, it’s making a bid for a different kind of fame. Milton Keynes is already home to the National Bowl, a massive concert arena, which has hosted a who’s who of big music names, from Queen to Bowie to Eminem to Grace Jones, plus art space MK Gallery, and theatre and music venue The Stables.

The bid describes it as ‘a city built on imagination’, casting it as a place where ‘innovation, diversity and creativity thrive side by side’ - and it’s got plenty to back up that claim, from the world’s first programmable computer built at Bletchley Park, to its more recent history as a testing ground for delivery robots.

Sheffield

Step into a cafe in one of London’s artsier corners and you'll quickly feel like everyone's talking about moving to Sheffield. Its arts and music scenes are buzzing at the moment, as the former manufacturing hub attracts hordes of creatives with its affordable cost of living and friendly culture. Its theatre Sheffield Crucible is one of the UK’s best, regularly launching major new shows into the West End, and the city’s also known for its vivid street art, its busy gallery scene, and its packed live music calendar. Its under-the-radar suburb Crookes also happens to be one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the UK right now. 

Leader of the city council Fran Belbin said: ‘Sheffield is a city built on creativity, innovation, and community spirit [...] Culture is part of who we are.’ 

Wrexham

There hasn’t been a Welsh winner of UK City of Culture so far, but north Wales’s Wrexham is looking to change that. Its bid puts the Welsh language front and centre, offering it something unique to communicate with both locals and visitors. This city recently hosted the National Eisteddfod and is home to Wales’ new Football Museum, and its profile has been raised by the success of Wrexham AFC.

The bid’s ambition is to ‘make Wrexham the world’s most playful place’, drawing on ideas from locals, including more than 1000 schoolchildren. It’s a mission that Hollywood's Rhys Ifans is firmly onboard with. ‘It's Wrexham's time’, he said. 

Did you see that Liverpool is getting an 'extraordinary' new Beatles museum?

Plus: This Norfolk seaside town could get a huge new attraction. 

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