Milton Keynes has made the longlist to be the next UK City of Culture in 2029
The winner will be announced later this year
Milton Keynes has been longlisted as one of nine contenders for the title of UK City of Culture 2029.
The announcement comes as part of a national competition by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, where each contender city will receive £60,000 to refine their application for this coveted title.
Other longlisted locations include Blackpool, Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon, and Wrexham.
Historically, winning the UK City of Culture has significantly benefitted host cities through enhanced investment, increased visitor numbers, and new employment opportunities.
Cabinet Member for Planning and Placemaking at Milton Keynes City Council, Cllr Shanika Mahendran, said: “Being longlisted for UK City of Culture 2029 is an exciting moment for Milton Keynes.
“It recognises the potential of our bold design heritage, our creative communities and our forward-looking identity, and we thank the expert judging panel and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for seeing that potential.
“We look forward to working closely with partners from across the city as we develop the full application, and to showing even more of what makes Milton Keynes such an inventive, welcoming and culturally ambitious place.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “For far too long, opportunity has not been shared equally across the country. The UK City of Culture and new UK Town of Culture competitions recognise the enormous contributions made by communities all over the UK who are all part of the story of who we are as a nation.
“I look forward to seeing what the nine longlisted places have in store as they progress in the competition. I also urge any towns thinking about entering the UK Town of Culture competition to seize this opportunity and get involved. It’s a chance to show the country what makes them unique
The winner of the competition will be announced later this year and will follow Bradford’s tenure as UK City of Culture 2025.
The successful city will receive a £10 million prize, enabling them to deliver a yearlong cultural programme full of dynamic activities rooted in their local identity.
The three shortlisted but unsuccessful bids will also benefit from £125,000 each to realize aspects of their proposed plans.