I want Blackpool to be City of Culture because it would mean the country has woken up to how special it is

TV personality Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has described Blackpool potentially becoming UK City of Culture 2029 as “the most extraordinary accolade”, while singer Toyah Wilcox has called the seaside resort “a gem within the UK”.

The celebrities voiced their support for Blackpool after the resort was shortlisted as one of four finalists in the prestigious national City of Culture competition, alongside Wrexham, Sheffield and Milton Keynes.

Llewelyn-Bowen said: “To become the City of Culture, I think, is the most extraordinary accolade because it means the rest of the country wakes up to just how special Blackpool is. Blackpool very much deserves to be City of Culture because the culture here has such an extraordinary flavour.

“Blackpool is the capital of cultural fun and that absolutely needs to be recognised,” Llewelyn-Bowen continued, with Wilcox adding: “It is a gem within the UK. It’s so special and it brings families together. It’s got so much history, it’s just so magical.”

The backing comes as Blackpool makes its case to secure the title, which would bring a £10m government grant to support a year-long celebration of arts and culture in 2029. The programme would create new jobs and opportunities across the Fylde coast, while helping boost tourism and attracting further funding, sponsorship and investment to support regeneration and events.

Blackpool Council submitted an Expression of Interest to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in January, followed by a full bid in August, working with the Arts Council England place partnership-funded Creative Blackpool development group.

Since the shortlist announcement, almost 30,000 people from across the country, including celebrities and businesses, have joined the campaign for Blackpool to win. Judges from the City of Culture Expert Advisory Panel will visit each of the four finalists before announcing the winner in winter.

Blackpool’s bid highlights the resort’s diverse cultural offering, from Showtown museum and the Grand Theatre’s long-term partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company to the Grundy Art Gallery, which broke visitor records during the visit of a Claude Monet earlier this year.

The town has also hosted a packed programme of major events, including Stanley Park’s centenary celebrations, the Air Show, World Fireworks Championship Blackpool and the Illuminations Switch-On concert. The tenth anniversary of Lightpool Festival began on October 21.

Blackpool’s cultural history also includes performances by The Beatles and Frank Sinatra, alongside the Royal Variety Performance at the Winter Gardens, which has hosted the event three times. The bid also looks ahead to 2029, when the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations will mark 150 years of entertaining residents and visitors.

Although Blackpool is not technically a city, its population and the wider Fylde coast meet the competition’s bidding criteria. If unsuccessful, Blackpool would still receive £125,000 to develop elements of its bid. The City of Culture competition is run by the government every four years.