Royal Leamington Spa Town Council is asking residents in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, to share their personal untold stories to help the town become the first UK Town of Culture in 2028. This community project, announced on 2 March 2026, aims to gather unique local tales that show why the town deserves national recognition.
The competition is a new project from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport that offers the winner a £3 million prize to deliver its cultural program. This funding would be used to host major cultural events and bring more tourism to the local economy.
Leamington is competing in a category for towns with between 20,000 and 75,000 residents. The bid will highlight the town’s history as well as its modern role as Silicon Spa, which is home to the largest group of video game developers in the country outside of London and the South East.
The council must submit its initial bid by 31 March 2026 to show the government that there is strong support from the community. A shortlist of towns is expected to be announced in late spring 2026, with the final winner named in early 2027.
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