Carlisle misses out on City of Culture longlist
City's not included in the nine candidates being taken forward for 2029
Last updated 18th Mar 2026
Carlisle's bid to become City of Culture 2029 has been rejected, after judges didn't include it in a nine place longlist.
City officials had hoped it would get the title and following in the footsteps of Bradford which had the honour last year.
Going through are Milton Keynes, Sheffield, Blackpool, Inverness-Highlands, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth, Swindon and Wrexham.
They'll now each get £60,000 to help develop full bids - with the winner getting a £10m pot of funding to help stage a year of events celebrating the area's cultural highlights.
Alongside Carlisle, falling at the first hurdle are Bristol, Exeter, Herefordshire, Isle of Thannet, Peterborough, Plymouth and Reading.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the competition – and the first Town of Culture in 2028 – “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”.
The longlist was decided by an independent panel chaired by Brookside, Grange Hill and Hollyoaks creator Sir Phil Redmond.
He said the competition used culture as a “creative catalyst for change, raising awareness and changing perceptions”.
“Derry-Londonderry, Hull, Coventry and, more recently, Bradford, have all demonstrated the quality and depth of cultural activity embedded across the UK, as well as the benefits of simply taking part,” he said.
“The competition brings people together, to talk to each other rather than at each other, sharing commonality and tolerating difference. Above all, allowing places to demonstrate their own pride in their places.”
More than 230 towns have registered an interest in bidding to be the UK’s first Town of Culture and Ms Nandy urged more to enter before the deadline at the end of March.
“It’s a chance to show the country what makes them unique and shine a spotlight on their cultural offer, enriching the lives of local people,” she said.
Cumbrian towns bidding for that include Barrow, Kendal and Kirby Lonsdale.