Blackpool will formally enter the race to become UK City of Culture 2029 when the council’s Executive meets on 13 July. Blackpool Council will recommend the submission of a bid that could unlock £10 million in government funding for a year-long programme of arts and culture.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport longlisted Blackpool alongside eight other places in March 2026. Each received £60,000 to develop a full application, which must be submitted in August. The shortlist is due in autumn, with the winner announced early next year. If successful, the prize money would fund events rooted in the town’s identity, drawing on local strengths and stories.
The town is the 45th largest place in the UK, home to 141,500 residents and a visitor economy worth £2 billion. The Fylde coast population tops 250,000. Cllr Lynn Williams, the council leader, described Blackpool as “the birthplace of culture in the north” and stressed the bid covers the wider region. The year 2029 would also mark the 150th anniversary of the Blackpool Illuminations and 135 years since Blackpool Tower opened. Winter Gardens turns 150 the year before.
The council is urging residents to back the campaign at www.blackpool2029.co.uk. The bid process has been shaped with Creative Blackpool, funded through an Arts Council England Place Partnership. It will highlight venues such as Showtown Museum, Grundy Art Gallery and Winter Gardens, as well as community groups including House of Wingz, Aunty Social and The Old Electric.
The competition aims to use culture as a catalyst for regeneration and pride. Bradford, the 2025 winner, attracted three million audience members with 5,000 events, 75 per cent of them free, and is forecast to return £26 for every £1 of council investment by 2030. A shortlisted Blackpool that does not win would still receive £125,000 to progress parts of its cultural programme.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
