'A landmark moment for Blackpool'- All 16 Lancashire MPs back Blackpool's bid for City of Culture 2029

Blackpool's bid to become UK City of Culture 2029 has been formally submitted to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), backed by the unanimous support of every Member of Parliament across Lancashire.

In a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, Chris Webb MP for Blackpool South was joined by 15 fellow Lancashire MPs, including Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, in giving their full support to the bid.

Blackpool was longlisted for the title earlier this year alongside eight other places from across the UK: Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon and Wrexham. Today's submission marks the deadline for longlisted places to complete their full application, following four months of bid development.

The letter sets out the breadth of Blackpool's cultural offer, from Showtown Museum and the Grundy Art Gallery to the World Dance Championships and a network of grassroots arts organisations working in neighbourhoods across the town.

It also highlights the town's role in Lancashire's wider cultural life as a place of escapism and entertainment for communities from Preston to Pendle, Burnley to Blackburn, and points to a run of major anniversaries in 2029 – 150 years of the Blackpool Illuminations, 135 years since the Tower and Grand Theatre first opened, and the Winter Gardens' 150th the year before.

Chris Webb MP, Blackpool South Mp said: "This is a landmark moment for Blackpool. Every single MP across Lancashire has put their name to this bid and that is a measure of just how much this means to our town and our county.

“Blackpool has been lighting up this country's imagination for a century and a half, and it more than deserves this recognition. Culture here isn't confined to one building or one postcode – it's in our museums, our galleries, our theatres and our neighbourhoods.

“Winning this title would be transformational, not just for Blackpool but for the whole of Lancashire."

The bid now goes before DCMS's independent expert advisory panel, which will assess all nine longlisted applications against the competition's criteria. The panel will recommend a shortlist of up to four places to DCMS ministers, who will make the final decision on which places progress.

The letter from MPs backing Blackpool’s City of Culture 2029 bid

Dear Secretary of State,

Blackpool has been nominated for City of Culture for 2029, and we, as Members of Parliament across Lancashire, back the bid with our full support.

This prestigious title would mark a year of celebration of arts, culture and creativity, designed for local people while showcasing everything that makes Blackpool unique. More importantly, it would leave a legacy by strengthening the town’s creative identity for generations to come – and by extension, the cultural identity of Lancashire as a whole. Blackpool may not officially hold city status, but the scale of its population and the breadth of its cultural offer mean it more than qualifies for the title.

In Blackpool, culture is not confined to a single venue or postcode. It’s Showtown Museum celebrating the town’s entertainment heritage. It’s the Grundy Art Gallery bringing national partners and homegrown talent together under one roof. It’s the World Dance Championships filling its venues with competitors from across the globe, and it’s the brilliant independent arts organisations that take their programmes into neighbourhoods across the town. This is a town that does culture at every scale, from the grassroots up – and it is a model of the same creative energy found in towns and villages right across our county.

Blackpool's cultural story extends far beyond the town itself. The Fylde coast is both geographically and culturally distinct from much of Lancashire, but it plays a vital role in the wider region. For generations, it has offered a place of escapism and entertainment, rest and relaxation for Lancastrians from Preston to Pendle, Burnley to Blackburn. Across the county, Blackpool unites the coast with urban areas and the countryside to create a rich and diverse cultural landscape. These connections are a real strength of the bid, demonstrating how Blackpool brings together artists, audiences and organisations from across the wider region. A winning bid would not just be a win for Blackpool – it would be a win for Lancashire, shining a national spotlight on everything our county has to offer.

The timing could not be more fitting. The year 2029 aligns with several important milestones across the town, with 150 years of the Blackpool Illuminations and 135 years since the Tower and the Grand Theatre first opened their doors, while the Winter Gardens turns 150 the year before. Blackpool has been lighting up this country’s imagination for a century and a half –this is its moment, and Lancashire’s moment, to shine.

With tourism on the rise and world-class infrastructure in place, City of Culture status would provide the prestige to boost Blackpool’s visitor economy, create new jobs, and strengthen its identity across the town and the wider region for years to come. The benefits would ripple outward, drawing visitors who will explore further – along Lancashire’s coastline, into its towns and countryside, and giving our whole county a platform to showcase its culture, heritage and talent to the world.

Blackpool has the ambition and creativity to make the most of this opportunity, and this recognition would allow the town and wider county to unlock its full potential. As Lancashire MPs, we are proud to stand together in support of Blackpool’s bid.

Yours faithfully,

Chris Webb MP for Blackpool South

Lorraine Beavers MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood

Andrew Snowden MP for Fylde

Cat Smith MP for Lancaster and Wyre

Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP for Chorley

Lizzi Collinge MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale

Ashley Dalton MP for West Lancashire

Maya Ellis MP for Ribble Valley

Paul Foster MP for South Ribble

Jonathan Hinder MP for Pendle and Clitheroe

Mark Hendrick MP for Preston

Patrick Hurley MP for Southport

Adnan Hussain MP for Blackburn

Andy MacNae MP for Rossendale and Darwen

Oliver Ryan MP for Burnley

Sarah Smith MP for Hyndburn and Haslingden

City of Culture 2029 Timetable

★ Autumn 2026: Shortlist announced. The expert panel will visit shortlisted places and shortlisted bids will be invited to give a final presentation.

★ December 2026 / January 2027: DCMS aims to announce the winner of UK City of Culture 2029.

★ 2029: The winning place delivers its year-long UK City of Culture programme.

The winning bid will receive £10 million in guaranteed government funding to deliver its programme, with £125,000 resource grants awarded to each of the three runners-up.