Bradford in the running for UK City of Culture 2025 but Wakefield misses out
Two rival West Yorkshire bids were in the running for the accolade
Bradford is through to the next stage of the competition to host UK City of Culture in 2025 but a rival bid from Wakefield has lost out.
Eight places across the UK have been 'longlisted' by the government for the prestigious title, including Armagh City, Cornwall, Derby, County Durham, Southampton, Stirling and Wrexham County Borough.
Council bosses say the City of Culture title could be a 'game changer' for the district, putting the area on the map nationally and internationally through a year of cultural events.
Bradford's bid is based on several major cultural attractions in the area, including a new 4,000 capacity music venue called Bradford Live, the £23m Darley Street Market project, the National Science and Media Museum and the recently reopened St George's Hall.
Shanaz Gulzar, Chair of Bradford 2025 said:
“We’re thrilled to have made the longlist for UK City of Culture 2025. The competition is about to ramp up and we are completely focused on creating the best possible bid – a winning bid – with and for the district.
"Bradford district is changing fast and we want to use our rich cultural heritage, our storytellers, our innovators and our diverse young population to create a bid that is both recognisably Bradford and a new story written on our own terms. We’re in this to win.”
If successful Bradford would become the second Yorkshire city, after Hull, to win the accolade.
Research by the University of Hull found that City of Culture 2017 brought over 6 million visitors to the city throughout the year, added between £11m and £17m to the value of the local economy and created around 800 jobs.
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe Leader of Bradford Council said:
“Thousands of people across Bradford, Keighley, Ilkley, Shipley and Bingley have been involved in getting the district to this point.
"To be selected for the longlist of eight is a massive show of confidence in all that we’ve done together.”
A rival bid by nearby Wakefield didn't make the government's longlist.
Wakefield's bid, which included the wider district, focussed on attractions like Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the National Coal Mining Museum, as well cultural events in Wakefield itself.
Council bosses say they're 'disappointed', but have promised a range of events in 2024 to celebrate the district.