Lancashire misses out on bid to host Great Exhibition of the North

Blackpool and Lancashire's bid to host a major exhibition showcasing art, design and innovation from the north of England has failed.

By The Newsroom

Published 11th Oct 2016, 08:01 BST

Updated 25th Oct 2016, 19:32 BST

New figures have been released from the ONS

Instead Newcastle and Gateshead have been selected by the government to host the £5m Great Exhibition of the North in 2018.

Former Chancellor George Osborne came up with the idea as part of his Northern Powerhouse package.

The 77-day exhibition will have the overarching theme of The Blazing World - The Fires of Invention.

Other shortlisted bidders which missed out were Sheffield and Bradford.

Marketing Lancashire, which led Lancashire’s bid, tweeted today: “Congratulations #NewcastleGateshead. Look forward to being part of the #GreatNorthExpo18”