Ilfracombe shortlisted for UK's first ever Town of Culture
The North Devon coastal resort will get £40,000 to word on the bid, with the winner announced next year
Last updated 9th Jul 2026
Ilfracombe has been shortlisted for the UK’s first ever Town of Culture title.
The North Devon coastal resort is one of 15 towns vying for the prestigious prize which comes with a £3 million government grant to deliver a cultural programme in 2028.
The only town in Devon to be shortlisted, Ilfracombe was up against the likes of Tavistock, Bideford, Dartmouth, Great Torrington and Sidmouth in the small towns category which attracted 43 entries from the South West and shortlisted six.
Across the three categories of small, medium and large, nearly 400 locations entered the inaugural competition launched by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport as part of the government’s ambition to “restore pride in every part of Britain”.
Ilfracombe is home to one of the most recognisable pieces of public art ‘Verity’ – Damien’s Hirst’s 20 metre sculpture overlooking the sea as well as the Landmark Theatre and has a vibrant coastal art and culture scene and community.
With a plethora of artists and galleries and a growing creative community, art is celebrated each year in the annual Ilfracombe Art Trail which involves more than 100 local artists.
The town will now receive £60,000 to work up its full bid which will be assessed by an independent judging panel. One finalist will then be selected from each category with the overall winner being announced early next year. The other two finalists will receive £250,000 each.
The winner will go on to host a season of culture in 2028, which will help them to deliver a long-lasting legacy of cultural participation and local pride as has been seen in previous winners of the UK City of Culture competition; Derry-Londonderry 2013, Hull 2017, Coventry 2021 and Bradford 2025.
These towns have attracted more than £1 billion in additional investment and welcomed an estimated two million visitors, while recent audience research from Bradford 2025 shows more than 80 per cent of attendees felt events increased their pride in the place they live.
Bid leaders from the shortlisted towns will need to explain how they will use culture to celebrate their town, showcase original storytelling, empower their local communities and provide more accessible culture in their local area.
Ilfracombe missed out on £24 million in 2024 when a bid for levelling up cash was rejected with councillors saying it had repeatedly been failed to be recognised by central government.
Shortlisted small towns are: Ilfracombe, Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Sandown, Strabane and Stockton Town Centre Ward
Medium towns: Corby, Great Yarmouth, Leith, Pontypridd, and Port Talbot
Large towns: Basildon, Birkenhead, Grimsby and Rotherham