'Blackpool the place the UK comes to play' - what we know about the resort's City of Culture 2029 bid

Blackpool has today been shortlisted for City of Culture 2029.

Announced by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Blackpool along with the other nine longlisted UK locations were asked, as part of the bids, to explain how they would use culture as a catalyst to transform their place and the lives of communities through boosting growth, opportunities and pride.

While, every detail of Blackpool’s City of Culture bid is not able to be reported here is a flavour of some of the exciting opportunities the resort is exploring…

Blackpool’s bid

The broad initial scope of the bid focuses on Blackpool’s unique status as the original mass market seaside resort and where the UK comes to play, building on a history of culture in all its forms.

Blackpool, the world’s first mass seaside resort created for the working-classes, has always led the way through invention, creativity and the radical idea that culture and joy should belong to everyone. The bid will see exciting new projects with national and internationally renowned names such as; Jack Holden, Chila Kumari Singh Burman, Hamish Hamilton and Blackpool-based Garth Gratrix.

Should the bid be successful, it would include four distinctive public propositions with sustained participation, learning, health, skills, sector development and infrastructure:

We’ll Show You will present Blackpool’s culture at its most ambitious-from major performance and immersive spectacle to dance, music, broadcasting and artist-led interventions.

The Welcome Inn will build on Blackpool’s traditions of hospitality, exchange and shared enjoyment.

Sea Change will connect culture with care for people, communities and the environment.

It’s Like Blackpool Illuminations in Here! will use the 150th anniversary of the Illuminations to connect local participation with international artistic and technological innovation

Each proposition will include large scale events, as well as works in the community, with local schools and community groups to leave a lasting legacy that extends beyond 2029.

Everybody is still encouraged to visit www.blackpool2029.co.uk to show their support to back the bid.

Blackpool’s connection with culture

Blackpool’s relationship with culture is full of variety.

From Showtown Museum exploring the history of the iconic seaside resort, to the Grand Theatre’s long-term partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the contemporary Grundy Art Gallery breaking visitor records during the visit of a Monet earlier this year.

In entertainment, Blackpool’s Winter Gardens has hosted the Royal Variety Performance three times in its history (1955, 2009 and 2020) and continues to host events ranging from West End musicals to World Dance Festivals. The town itself has been home to musical performances from The Beatles and Frank Sinatra, while also being the home of Sooty.

In 2029, the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations will also celebrate 150 years of entertaining locals and visitors, as part of the world’s oldest free light show. Pre-dating Thomas Edison’s patent of the lightbulb, the Illuminations continue to entertainment millions of people every year, while also being a major part of modern British culture with the saying ‘It’s like Blackpool Illuminations in here.’

The prestigious national competition is led by the government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and runs every four years. The competition is open to cities, large towns and regions.

While not technically a city, Blackpool is the 45th largest place in the UK, with the Fylde coast home to over 250,000 people, which meets the bidding criteria.

Bradford was named City of Culture for 2025, with previous winners being Derry/Londonderry (2013), Hull (2017) and Coventry (2021).

Where else is competing to become City of Culture 2029?

Blackpool has been shortlisted as one of the final four places to be named UK City of Culture 2029.

Blackpool will compete with Wrexham, Sheffield and Milton Keynes to win the accolade, which would mean a £10m, year-long celebration of arts and culture for local people to enjoy, creating new jobs and opportunities across the Fylde coast.

Blackpool, Wrexham, Sheffield and Milton Keynes were shortlisted from a long list of nine destinations which included: Inverness-Highland; Ipswich; Middlesbrough; Portsmouth and Swindon.

What happens now?

Each shortlisted place is now guaranteed to receive at least £125,000 to take forward elements of their bid, with one place ultimately going on to take the title and a prize fund of £10million.

The four locations were recommended by the UK City of Culture expert advisory panel, chaired by Sir Phil Redmond.

A final decision on the winner is expected in early 2027.

Where has been the City of Culture before?

Previous winners Derry-Londonderry, Hull, Coventry and Bradford have shown the vast benefits of winning the prestigious title, which include attracting millions of pounds in additional investment to help boost regeneration, a year in the cultural spotlight with hundreds of events encouraging long-lasting participation in the arts, growth for local tourism and a lasting boost to community pride.

Last year Bradford led a showstopping cultural programme of more than 6,500 events - over 80% of which were free - that resulted in capital investment for more than 30 local cultural organisations. Bradford’s year in the spotlight also led to increased opportunities for local people to get involved with events, with over 88,000 residents taking part in key projects throughout the year. 87% of Bradford 2025 audiences also agreed that the event made them feel proud of their local area.

There is also evidence that bidding to win UK City of Culture in its own right brings many benefits, including supporting a place to develop its cultural strategy and bring together key partners.