'Fantastic for Blackpool': Pleasure Beach bosses back City of Culture bid
Another one of Blackpool’s most important stakeholders is supporting the bid.
Bosses at Blackpool Pleasure Beach have backed the bid for City of Culture 2029 as momentum for the town’s claim gathers.
The bid would see Blackpool win a grant of £20m from the government, which would be used to fund a year-long cultural celebration.
Speaking to the Gazette about Blackpool’s claim and what a successful bid might mean for the town, James Cox, Director of Marketing, Sales and PR, said: “Obviously, it would be hugely important.
“I think it’s good for people to hear the name Blackpool on the news, and if a place is the City of Culture, then it will always be on the news because of all the activities and events that go on.”
Momentum is now gathering in Blackpool’s favour after a series of highly successful events, including last Friday’s Illuminations switch-on event.
An independent panel will make a decision on the 2029 City of Culture over the coming months before the winner is announced in January 2027.
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“I also think it would be great for us as a business, and it'd be great for us to be involved as an attraction and venue for some of those activities,” James added. “In general, it would be fantastic for Blackpool to have that positivity around again, and to give people new reasons to visit and to come.
“Hopefully the City of Culture bid is successful and hopefully, if people visited because of that, they would find other reasons to return in the following years.”