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No Town of Culture accolade for Ilkley

Friday, 10 July 2026 14:37

By Chris Young, Local Democracy Reporter

Ilkley's digital postcard, part of the town's application [Image: Ilkley BID]

Ilkley didn't make the shortlist for the first Town of Culture accolade – it was revealed today.

No local towns have made the shortlist - Ilkley, along with Keighley, Guiseley and Harrogate applied.

After the success of Bradford’s year as City of Culture, it had been hoped that the new Town of Culture accolade could once again bring the national spotlight to West Yorkshire.

The government received an incredible 398 bids from over 400 hopeful towns as part of the competition.

Fifteen towns will now compete for the inaugural UK Town of Culture 2028 title. 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.

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. 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.”

A statement from the Government said:

“The benefits of cultural investment are clear. Previous UK City of Culture holders – Derry-Londonderry, Hull and Coventry – have attracted more than £1 billion in additional investment and welcomed an estimated 2 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.

“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.”

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