UK Launches £3.5M Town of Culture Competition for 2028

The UK Government has launched a new Town of Culture competition aimed at small and medium-sized towns, awarding a £3.5 million prize to the winning town to deliver a cultural programme in 2028. This initiative seeks to highlight towns that have contributed to the UK's cultural heritage but have not received widespread recognition, with shortlisted towns receiving £60,000 to develop their bids. The competition will assess towns based on their unique story, inclusivity of cultural events, and their ability to successfully deliver the programme. Alongside this, the UK City of Culture 2029 competition has been launched, offering a £10 million prize for the winning city to deliver a year-long cultural event, with updated criteria making it more accessible to large towns. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy emphasized that these competitions aim to include historically overlooked places in the national story, promoting jobs, investment, and community engagement through culture. Experts note that both bidding and winning these titles bring significant benefits such as increased tourism, local pride, and economic growth, as seen in previous winners like Coventry and Bradford.