Need to knowBristol could be where it’s at in 2029
The Paraorchestra and dancers rehearse for Smoosh! which is to be performed on the streets of Knowle West on September 17(Image: )
Bristol could bid to be the next UK City of Culture, with councillors deciding next week on whether to join the competition against other cities for the prestigious title.
So far work on bidding for the accolade, which comes with a £10 million injection into the city’s cultural programme and a year of events and celebrations, has been behind the scenes, with the people leading some of Bristol’s major venues and organisations preparing to pitch the idea of Bristol going for it.
But what is the City of Culture, what is the process to win the accolade, why is Bristol putting its name forward and how much will it all cost?
What is the UK City of Culture?
The UK City of Culture is a status that lasts a year and is awarded every four years. It was first bestowed on Hull in 2017, then Coventry in 2021 and Bradford’s year as the UK City of Culture in 2025 just ended.
King Charles III meets members of the Bantam of the Opera choir, a group of local Bradford City Football Club fans taught to sing opera by BBC Radio Leeds during Bradford’s City of Culture year during a visit to Cartwright Hall, an art gallery and community cultural space in Bradford, West Yorkshire, where he toured the David Hockney gallery, dedicated to the life and career of the Bradford-born artist. Picture date: Thursday May 15, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL King. Photo credit should read: Chris Jackson/PA Wire(Image: )
The UK City of Culture is a national initiative led by the Government and delivered by the Arts Council of England. The winning city gets £10 million and uses that money to fund arts and culture but in a way that also leads to ‘social and economic regeneration and community engagement’.
What are the benefits of being the UK City of Culture?
As well as the £10 million grant from the Arts Council, being the City of Culture is said to bring a major tourism and economic boost. Coventry reported a £150 million tourism uplift in 2021, and Bradford said its year as City of Culture is expected to generate £390 million for the local economy.
What does the City of Culture look like?
A successful City of Culture year is supposed to involve as many people as possible, not just be something confined to existing cultural venues or the usual suspects who get involved in a city’s culture. Coventry made sure there was some kind of event in every single ward in the city – more than 700 across the year – more than three-quarters of the events were organised by local communities and almost half the population of the city participated in at least one event throughout the year.
One of the key aspects for a successful bid is to show what the long-lasting legacy of being the UK City of Culture will be.
What happens next?
The next UK City of Culture will be created for 2029. Bristol City Council ’s strategy committee will meet next week – on Tuesday, January 20 – and is expected to decide to enter the first step – submit an ‘Expression of Interest’. That has to be sent to the Arts Council by February 8.
From there, the Arts Council decides which cities should be put on a ‘long list’ – usually up to eight cities, and the announcement is expected at the end of March.
All smiles at St Pauls Carnival 2023(Image: Emma Grimshaw/Bristol Live)
If Bristol’s bid is successful, it will make a shortlist, and have to put together even more detailed plans, before an announcement
If Bristol makes the long-list it will be awarded £60,000 to put together a detailed bid, and the final announcement is expected in late May or the early summer. When Bradford won the bid to be the UK City of Culture for 2025, it was announced on the last day of May 2022.
How much will it cost the city?
Council chiefs will tell councillors making the decision on Tuesday that it will cost the taxpayer nothing – for the moment. Submitting an expression of interest can be done by the council’s existing culture team of officers, along with some keen culture leaders in Bristol.
If Bristol makes it onto the long-list, then a specific bid team will have to be created, and that will cost money, but councillors aren’t being told yet how much, albeit the Arts Council will help with £60,000 to get started.
“Future stages will require a dedicated bid team, partnership contributions from public, private and voluntary sectors,” councillors have been told. “A full financial plan will be developed if Bristol is shortlisted.”
Why should Bristol be the City of Culture?
“Our city is renowned for its creativity – from street art and music to festivals and independent venues,” explained Philip Walker, the council’s Head of Culture.
“While we take pride in our city’s offer, not everyone has equal access to cultural experiences. Barriers such as cost, location, and representation mean some communities feel disconnected from Bristol’s cultural offer.
“A bid for UK City of Culture would aim to change that. The UK City of Culture programme is about more than events and festivals – it’s about creating lasting change. For Bristol, this means cementing culture as a means to tackle inequality, strengthen communities, and inspire future generations. It means celebrating what makes the city special while opening doors for those who feel excluded.
Sam Fender performed at SWX in August 2019 (Image: Bristol Live)
“A Bristol approach is one that is rooted in its grassroots cultural scene – the community-led projects, local artists, and neighbourhood initiatives that give our city its distinctive character. By building from the ground up, our bid would seek to ensure that everyone, regardless of background or postcode, can experience and benefit from Bristol’s vibrant cultural life.
“We want to empower a whole city bid that captures the spirit of the sector and the communities of Bristol. Should the committee give us the go ahead to start the bidding process, we want to build a bid on the power our cultural offer has to bring people together, foster understanding, and strengthen the voices of our communities,” he added.
What chance does Bristol have?
Those behind the bid are bullish about Bristol’s chances, but it depends on lots of different things – not least which other cities bid for it.
One aspect that perhaps isn’t in Bristol’s favour is the fact that the city is already renowned for being a city full of culture.
The places that so far have won the accolade – Hull, Coventry and Bradford – have won, in part, because they are not the first places people would associate with having a strong arts and culture presence.
Those awarding the UK City of Culture tend to bestow the honour on places where it will make a huge difference and change outside perceptions about a city.
One issue for Bristol could be that if the city’s pitch is that Bristol already has a rich cultural scene but it isn’t shared around and ‘not everyone has equal access to cultural experiences’ in the city, then it could be that the judges take the view that’s an issue that is down to Bristol’s own internal cultural elitism.
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