Shortlist for UK Town of Culture revealed

Final shortlist for UK City of Culture 2029 revealed

The final shortlist for the 2029 UK City of Culture has been revealed. Blackpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, and Wrexham are the four contenders, all vying for Government recognition. All four contenders will receive at least £125,000 to take their bid forward, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said. The cities now have a chance to win the title and a prize of £10million, the Government added. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say As part of their bids, places were asked to explain how they would use culture as a catalyst to transform their place and communities' lives by boosting growth, opportunities, and pride. The title is awarded every four years and was last held by Bradford. The UK City of Culture expert advisory panel, chaired by Brookside and Hollyoaks creator Sir Phil Redmond, recommended the four locations. Describing the final selection as a "hard choice", Sir Phil said: "The four places on the shortlist continue to demonstrate both the variety and strength of creative ambition across the UK. "Each place represents a different view, or aspect, epitomising what culture is, the sum of all we do together, and while each approaches it differently, they all share the common aim of reminding the rest of the UK of who they are, where they are and why they are worth visiting. "I look forward to doing that myself, along with the rest of the Advisory Panel in the near future." The shortlist was narrowed down from a longlist of nine. Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth and Swindon all failed to make the cut. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: 10 beautiful parts of the UK to explore now as more Britons holiday in autumn Dog named 'animal of the year' for becoming first in the world to hunt invasive 'sea vomit' creature Quiet British market town named among the top destinations in the world for 2027 Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "Every place has a story worth telling of its own unique history, identity and contribution. "Great

Shortlist for UK Town of Culture revealed