Bradford to get £3.5m in extra funding towards City of Culture legacy
The funding help with the return of Bradford Festival and a touring “pop up” arts venue The Beacon.
BRADFORD will get a further £3.5m in national funding to continue the legacy of its year as City of Culture.
The funding help with the return of Bradford Festival and a touring “pop up” arts venue The Beacon.
The news comes a few weeks after the announcement that Government funding will allow another temporary 2025 venue, Loading Bay in Bradford city centre, to re-open in May.
The £3.5m will come from Arts Council England through the National Lottery Project Grant: Place Partnership fund, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund.
Wednesday’s announcement said: “Totalling more than £3.5m this funding will support cultural events for children and families to run throughout the summer across the District as well as the return of the city-centre outdoor arts event Bradford Festival and pop-up community venue The Beacon.
“Funding will support Saltaire’s Peace Museum and see national and international artists produce and present work in the city. Bradford creatives will also be commissioned to develop new projects and, through the continuation of the Our Patch programme, community organisations throughout the District will have improved access to heritage and culture.
“This funding will also help cultivate the leaders of the future through the continuation of Bradford Culture Company’s Youth Panel to empower young people and grow their skills in governance and leadership, and Bradford Made’s free place-based cultural learning resources will be embedded into schools and other learning environments.”
Early estimates for Bradford’s City of Culture year show that over three million people attended 5,000+ events during 2025.
In December last year Bradford Council announced a key part of its legacy plan for Bradford 2025 would be the ongoing support for Bradford Culture Company enabling it to continue producing cultural events, attracting national partners and securing funding.
Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: “I’m delighted that major grant funders are committing investment into the legacy of City of Culture so early in 2026.
“The success of 2025 has obviously given them confidence to invest and means we can look forward to more quality cultural events and activities all across the district into 2026 and beyond, showcasing the district at its best.”
Dan Bates, Executive Director of Bradford Culture Company said: “Through this investment we can build on the momentum and impact of last year to create more opportunities for people in the district and further shape its future.”