Four locations in the running to be UK City of Culture 2029

Four UK cities shortlisted for UK City of Culture 2029

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The UK government has shortlisted four locations to be the UK City of Culture 2029: Blackpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, and Wrexham. The four places were chosen from a longlist of nine and each will be given £125,000 to develop their bids before the winner is announced in the new year.

The UK City of Culture award is viewed as a way to boost local economies, foster civic pride, and have some fun. The winner will be given a further £10m to help fund a year of cultural events and activities drawing on its local strengths and stories.

All four previous UK cities of culture – Derry (2013), Hull (2017), Coventry (2021), and Bradford (2025) – said afterwards that the designation had been transformative and brought lasting legacies. The Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, said the shortlisted cities have shown the pride that exists in their places with the incredible culture on their doorsteps.

Blackpool is bidding to become the first seaside resort to win the prize. The council leader, Lynn Williams, said it was a place that never stood still and was proud, working-class culture that has always been about bringing people together, having fun and making something happen.

Milton Keynes is a city burdened with misconceptions that it is just concrete and roundabouts. However, the leader of Milton Keynes council, Jane Carr, said that there is more to the city than that and it has an amazing amount of homegrown talent, including orchestras and performing artists.

Sheffield's artistic heritage probably shouts the loudest, whether that's electronic music, Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, or England's largest theatre complex outside London. The city has since become known for musical exports, its annual documentary film festival, and the Crucible - one of the leading theatres outside London.

Wrexham was the bookmaker's favourite to win before the shortlist was announced. The city is already surfing a Hollywood wave after its football team was bought by the actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The council leader, Mark Pritchard, said that making the shortlist was 'fantastic' news and that winning the competition would be another step towards overcoming the city's challenges.