Highlights
- Each shortlisted place will receive at least £125,000 to develop its bid.
- Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the competition celebrates the history and identity of communities across the UK.
- The winner will be announced in early 2027.
MILTON KEYNES has been shortlisted to become the UK City of Culture 2029, joining Blackpool, Sheffield and Wrexham in the race for a title that could bring investment, jobs and more cultural events to their communities.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said the competition offered places an opportunity to showcase their history and identity, while highlighting the role they play in the country's story.
“Every place has a story worth telling of its own unique history, identity and contribution,” she said. “Great culture is everywhere, but the opportunity to showcase it, to put it on display and to show how it is woven into our national story is not.”
Congratulating the four shortlisted places, Nandy said the competition was “an undiluted celebration of what makes our largest towns and cities so brilliant”.
Each contender will receive at least £125,000 to develop its bid, while the eventual winner will receive a £10 million prize fund to deliver a year of cultural activities in 2029.
The shortlist was selected by an expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, the television writer and producer known for creating Brookside and Grange Hill. It was drawn from nine longlisted applications.
Milton Keynes looks beyond its image
Milton Keynes, designated as a new town in 1967 to help ease London's housing shortage, has often been associated with its grid roads, roundabouts and concrete cows.
Jane Carr, leader of Milton Keynes City Council, said there was more to the city than those familiar features.
“We do still have concrete cows and, yes, we do have a lot of roundabouts – but I think that there is more to us than that,” she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
She highlighted the city's homegrown talent, orchestras, performing artists and international festival, held every two years.
The city's bid describes Milton Keynes as “a city built on imagination – a place where innovation, diversity and creativity thrive side by side”.
Carr said the city was approaching the 60th anniversary of its founding and had much to look forward to during the landmark year and beyond.
Four places compete for the title
Blackpool is seeking to become the first seaside resort to win the award. Council leader Lynn Williams said the town had entertained visitors for generations and wanted to show the country what it had to offer.
Sheffield is highlighting its musical heritage, independent arts scene, festivals, theatres, libraries and museums. Council leader Fran Belbin said culture was part of the city's identity, alongside its creativity and community spirit.
Wrexham, in north Wales, is also in the running. Its profile has grown since Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought its football club. The bid aims to use culture to build confidence and create opportunities for local people.
Sir Phil said the four finalists demonstrated the range of creative ambition across the UK. Each, he said, offered a different view of culture but shared the aim of showing people “who they are, where they are and why they are worth visiting”.
Previous winners report lasting benefits
The UK City of Culture title is awarded every four years. Previous winners are Derry-Londonderry in 2013, Hull in 2017, Coventry in 2021 and Bradford in 2025.
The government said the programme had helped previous winners attract investment, support tourism, create opportunities for arts organisations and encourage wider participation in cultural activities.
Bradford hosted more than 6,500 events during its year as City of Culture in 2025, with more than 80 per cent free to attend. More than 88,000 residents took part in projects during the year, according to the government.
The winning place for 2029 will be announced in early 2027. All nine longlisted places are also due to receive feedback on their bids, with the government saying it will work with unsuccessful applicants to help them pursue their cultural ambitions.
