Stockton Town Centre is on a shortlist of 15 throughout the UK for the accolade “Town of Culture 2028”, chosen over 19 other North East hopefuls from Berwick to Barnard Castle. Almost 400 applied from all parts of the country.
The UK Town of Culture competition, the first of its type, 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, said the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS),
Throughout this year, this competition – together with the UK City of Culture 2029 competition – would continue to shine a light on local visions and voices from across the nation to help encourage increased local investment, create a lasting sense of pride, and open doors to the arts and culture for everyone, said the department.
The 15 shortlisted towns fall into three categories – small, medium and large – which attracted 398 bids. Stockton Town Centre is in the small category. Those on the shortlist will receive £60,000 to work on their full bids with a winner from each category announced early next year. An overall winner from these three towns will be designated the “UK Town of Culture 2028” and receive a £3mn grant from the government. The additional two towns, from the other two categories, will 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 as has been seen in previous winners of the UK City of Culture competition, said the DCMS.
“Culture belongs everywhere”
The large number of bids demonstrates that culture belongs everywhere and shines a light on the many towns across the UK that are vital to our national story, said the department.
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.”
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, said the DCMS.
Overwhelming response
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.
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 as has been seen, said the DCMS, in previous winners of the UK City of Culture competition; Derry-Londonderry 2013, Hull 2017, Coventry 2021 and Bradford 2025.
The government’s ambition behind the UK Town of Culture competition, the department said, is for towns to reap similar benefits from the experience of bidding and encouraging local residents to get involved in cultural events to celebrate their town.
The benefits of cultural investment were clear. Previous UK City of Culture winners had attracted more than £1bn in additional investment and welcomed an estimated two million visitors, while recent audience research from Bradford 2025 shows more than 80 per cent of attendees felt events increased their pride in the place they live.
Investment in UK City of Culture and UK Town of Culture not only supported the delivery of exciting cultural programmes but brought a legacy of cultural regeneration. These programmes would help to attract more visitors to places for years to come as well as encouraging creativity and skills development across local areas, growing the local economy and providing more opportunities for local people to engage with arts and culture.
“Wonderful news for Stockton town”
Councillor Lisa Evans, leader of Stockton Council, said: “To be shortlisted for this prestigious accolade from such a high number of entries is wonderful news for Stockton town. There is so much for us to be proud of in Stockton, from the rich history that has shaped our story and culture to our unique and hugely popular festivals and celebrations, and we were delighted to see the secretary of state highlight our famous flagship event, the Stockton International Riverside Festival, which next year is due to celebrate its 40th birthday. Now it’s time to show the world exactly why Stockton town is so special.”
Stockton town’s bid was put together by a collective of cultural partners local venues and organisations. It highlighted the town’s significant historical global influence, including the Stockton and Darlington Railway; cultural town centre venues; the International Riverside Festival; and the newly-opened Stockton Waterfront urban park.
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