Birkenhead is one of just fifteen towns shortlisted to become the UK’s first Town of Culture, after nearly 400 places from across the country entered the landmark competition.

It will now compete for the inaugural UK Town of Culture 2028 title across three categories – small towns, medium towns and large towns. The shortlisted towns are:

• Small towns: Ilfracombe, Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Sandown, Strabane, and Stockton Town Centre Ward
• Medium towns: Corby, Great Yarmouth, Leith, Pontypridd, and Port Talbot
• Large towns: Basildon, Birkenhead, Grimsby and Rotherham

Shortlisted towns will now receive £60,000 each to develop their full bids, which will be assessed by the independent judging panel. One finalist will then be selected from each category with the overall winner being announced early next year.

Birkenhead’s postcard.

The UK Town of Culture competition is part of the government’s ambition to restore pride in local areas in every part of Britain and deliver a decade of national renewal, following the announcement of the Pride in Place Programme last year. Throughout this year, this competition – together with the UK City of Culture 2029 competition – will continue to shine a light on local visions and voices from across the UK to help encourage increased local investment, create a lasting sense of pride, and open doors to the arts and culture for everyone.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: 

“I want to say a massive congratulations to the fifteen shortlisted towns and I wish them luck in the next round of the competition.

“The fact that we received so many applications just goes to show how proud people are of their towns. When I launched this competition, I wanted to shine a light on our amazing towns all across the UK and the huge contribution they make to our national life.

“I am so glad that so many towns have applied and I hope each and every town, whether they have been shortlisted or not, is incredibly proud of the work they have done to champion their local community.”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:

“Birkenhead has always had a story worth telling. From its proud maritime heritage and rich cultural history to the creativity, talent and community spirit that you see in the town today, it has helped shape not just the Liverpool City Region, but the country too.

“For too long, places like Birkenhead have often been overlooked and underestimated. But those of us who know the town know the strength of its people, the depth of its character and the huge amount of talent that exists there.

“Being shortlisted for the first UK Town of Culture is fantastic recognition of all of that. It’s a chance to celebrate what makes Birkenhead special, shine a spotlight on the people and organisations driving its cultural renaissance, and show the rest of the country what this town is capable of.

“There’s a growing sense of momentum around Birkenhead right now. From the transformation taking place across the town to the bid for UNESCO World Heritage Status for Birkenhead Park, there is growing recognition of the unique role it has played in our national story.

“I want to congratulate everyone involved in the bid. This is something the whole town can be proud of, and I’ll be backing Birkenhead every step of the way.”

The shortlisted towns were recommended by the independent panel chaired by Sir Phil Redmond. The other members of the panel were selected to ensure a broad range of cultural experience and regional diversity. The panel members are:

• Sir Phil Redmond (Chair)
• Ruth Hollis OBE (Deputy Chair)
• Ian Bancroft (Wales Representative)
• Kristel Miller (Northern Ireland Representative)
• Katy Shaw
• Jim Tough (Scotland Representative
• Adipat Virdi
• Ian Warren (England Representative)
• Paula Williams

Chair of the independent panel, Sir Phil Redmond said: 

“The response to the competition has been, to say the least, overwhelming, quite literally from all four corners of the UK. It has been fantastic that nearly 400 towns have come forward, sharing their sense of pride, ambition and desire to demonstrate how much they have, and continue to contribute to our national story.

“That of course has made making the decision on the shortlist itself much more difficult, never mind the actual winners.

“I look forward to visiting those towns that have made the list and I am sure that, just like City of Culture, those that didn’t manage it will have found the experience of taking part worthwhile in strengthening partnerships, raising awareness and reminding us all of the depth and spread of the UK’s cultural landscape. I’d like to thank them all for that.”

The shortlisted places will now work to finalise their bids, which will explain how they would use culture to celebrate their town, showcase original storytelling, empower their local communities and provide more accessible culture in their local area.

From these fifteen shortlisted towns, the independent panel will recommend the best small, medium and large town from the full applications they receive. An overall winner from these three towns will be designated the “UK Town of Culture 2028” and receive a £3 million grant from the government. The additional two towns, from the other two categories, will be selected as finalists and receive £250,000 each to carry out part of their programme.

The winner will go on to host a season of culture in 2028, which will help them to deliver a long-lasting legacy of cultural participation and local pride.

In order to recognise all the towns that have bid in the first-ever UK Town of Culture competition, every bidding town was invited to submit a postcard to celebrate their bid. Last week these postcards were shared across social media and showcased by National Museums Liverpool in a digital display to celebrate each and every town that has participated in the competition. The postcards will remain within the National Museums Liverpool’s national collection.