'We want to win' - Council leader Lynn Williams says 'unique' Blackpool deserves £10m City of Culture title
“We deserve to be in and we’re not just in it to make up the numbers - we want to win”
Blackpool is in with a brilliant chance of of being named the UK City of Culture 2029, says council leader Cllr Lynn Williams.
Speaking just days before Blackpool’s bid for the major title is sent off on Monday. August 10, Cllr Williams was in bullish mood about the resort’s chances, insisting that the town’s cultural significance is massive and should be celebrated.
Blackpool is one of nine places across the UK listed by the government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport to be in the running for the prestigious accolade, with rivals including Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon, and Wrexham.
Despite the name of the competition, the City of Culture bid is open to large towns which meet new criteria including Blackpool, which - while not technically a city - is the 45th largest place in the UK, with a population of 141,500 and a visitor economy valued at £2bn.
If successful, Blackpool would receive £10m from the government towards a year-long celebration of arts and culture, to be enjoyed by local people as well as increasing the tourism economy. As well as the grant, the title of City of Culture also brings additional funding, sponsorship and investment to support regeneration and events.
Cllr Williams says it is likely that the windfall is likelier to be even bigger than the £10m, citing previous winners Bradford, which secured a total budget of approximately £51m for its tenure as the UK City of Culture 2025.
Winning the title did not grant a single lump-sum cash prize, but it unlocked a series of massive government grants, public funding packages, and private sector investments. But Cllr Williams she she says the benefits would be worth much more.
If successful, Blackpool would receive £10m to host a year-long celebration of arts and culture.
Back the Bid here: https://bit.ly/backourbid
What Blackpool Council Leader said
Cllr Williams said: “We deserve to be in and we’re not just in it to make up the numbers, we obviously want to win, that’s our aim. Blackpool has been at the heart of the UK’s tourism industry forever but all that joy and laughter is somehow not seen as culturally worthy by some.
“It is more than worthy and our bid is a powerful one, when you look at what Blackpool has to offer - it’s unique and is culturally significant to the whole of the UK. So many people across this country have vivid memories of coming to Blackpool but it’s not sentimentality, it’s genuine affection.”
Cllr Williams is again urging the town to get being the bid, adding: “It is important, the bid is not just about tourism and people coming here, but what it can do for the town and the people here. Success would benefit the Blackpool for years to come and and give people here a good feeling about where they come from, give them a real sense of pride.”
Cllr Williams said this coming weekend alone demonstrated what Blackpool had to offer - the first free air show in the country, the UK’s biggest and best punk festival in Rebellion and a major solo retrospective exhibition by British artist and punk photomontage pioneer Linder Sterling (known as Linder). It runs at the Grundy Art Gallery until October 3, 2026.
If successful, Blackpool would receive £10m to host a year-long celebration of arts and culture.
Back the Bid here: https://bit.ly/backourbid
Blackpool’s cultural highlights
The Blackpool Tower – An iconic venue across the UK, including Blackpool Tower Ballroom, star of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Blackpool Grand Theatre is an iconic Grade II* listed venue designed by Frank Matcham. As an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, it has won the UK Theatre Award for Excellence in Arts Education and has long established relationships organisations including the Royal Shakespeare Company and Sadler’s Wells Breakin’ Convention. The Grand presents and co-produces world-class performances and champions local talent, with its Chief Executive named in The Stage 100 list for 2026.
Blackpool Winter Gardens – a large complex of theatres, pavilions and rooms, including the Opera House which has seen performances from the world’s greatest entertainers and shows, ever since it opened in 1939.
Blackpool Transport runs heritage trams, which are a well loved part of Blackpool's heritage, while also supporting Tram Town museum.
Comedy Carpet is one of the largest pieces of public art in the country, featuring jokes and catchphrases from 850 comedians and characters across 1,800 square metres on Blackpool Promenade.