Stockport has entered the race to become the UK’s first Town of Culture, submitting a bid alongside more than 398 other applications from over 400 hopeful towns. The winner, announced later this year, will host a season of culture in 2028 and receive £3 million in prize funding.
The competition, launched by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, received an extraordinary response. Sir Phil described the volume of entries as “incredible” and a moment when communities “overwhelmingly wanted to demonstrate the sense of pride they have in their own communities.” A shortlist will be revealed by the end of July 2026, with three finalists — one large town, one medium, and one small — to be chosen from it.
Stockport’s submission was showcased among hundreds of others in an interactive display at the National Museums Liverpool, where Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Sir Phil viewed postcards from each bidding town. The postcards now form part of the museum’s national collection. The borough’s bid was submitted by Stockport Council in partnership with local organisations.
The prize money would support a year-long programme of events, drawing on the success of Bradford’s tenure as UK City of Culture in 2025. Bradford staged 5,000 events — over 75 per cent of them free — attracting three million visitors and involving more than 800 organisations. More than 100,000 residents took part in key projects, and the year generated capital investment for over 30 local cultural groups.
The two runners-up will each receive £250,000 to deliver cultural activities. The competition, restricted to towns without city status outside Greater London, drew bids from England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland before the March 2026 deadline.
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