CITY OF
CULTURE 2029
The shortlist for UK City of Culture 2029 is due any day now and I’m confident about Blackpool’s position. Our bid is in, it has the backing of every MP in Lancashire and more than 20,000 people have put their names to it. This town deserves to be on that list and, for me, we are the clear winner.
I’ve spent the past two years making that case in Westminster. In March, shortly after Blackpool was longlisted, I sat down with the Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, to tell her why. I’ve since hosted her in Blackpool for the Switch On of our world famous illuminations and in August I also welcomed Tourism Minister Stephanie
Peacock to Blackpool to show her some of what we have to offer. I want the people who make these decisions to see Blackpool for themselves, not just read about it.
But heritage in Blackpool has never meant standing still. Our town’s motto is Progress, and it’s earned. This is the place that gave the world its first practical electric tramway and has been lighting up the Promenade since 1879. Blackpool’s story is one of reinvention.
Here, heritage is something we put to work. Since the council took the Winter Gardens and the Tower into public ownership in 2010, restoration has brought more shows, events and cultural activity to the town. The Grundy Art Gallery doubled its visitor numbers this year with a Monet, and in 2027 Showtown will welcome the V&A’s David Bowie: On Tour.
It’s also far more than buildings. It’s popular entertainment, working-class leisure and the LGBTQ+ story that runs through the town. It’s community projects like Abingdon Studios’ We’re Still Here, and the independent arts organisations taking their work into neighbourhoods across Blackpool.
That’s what makes Blackpool’s story different. Our heritage isn’t a souvenir, it’s the foundation for what comes next, and 2029 is the perfect moment to show it: 150 years of the Illuminations, 135 years since the Tower and the Grand Theatre opened their doors, and the Winter Gardens’ 150th the year before. This is our moment to shine.
More than a title
The £10m that comes with City of Culture matters. What matters more is what it could unlock – new jobs, support for local businesses and opportunities for young people who deserve to see a future for themselves here.
It’s also why I’ve been backing a world-class arena at Blackpool Central. The government has committed £20m to explore it and I want to see that become a reality. A town with our ambition should have venues to match and a cultural legacy that’s still here long after 2029.
For too long Blackpool has been talked down and has dominated headlines for all the wrong reasons. I want that to change. I want government to back us, invest in us and give us the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the good. It’s time to show Blackpool in a new light.
A town that more than qualifies
Yes, Blackpool is a town, not a city. But it’s the 45th largest place in the UK, home to 141,500 people and a £2bn visitor economy, and the government has been clear that bids aren’t restricted to cities. We qualify and I’d argue we have more culture per square mile than our competitors.
Personally, I think of Blackpool as a capital of culture. That’s not just me getting carried away. Our town’s Cultural Strategy sets out a vision for Blackpool to be the UK’s Coastal Capital of Creativity by 2030 and City of Culture status would help make that vision a reality.
Heritage that looks forward
Ask many people what Blackpool’s culture is and they’ll point to the Tower, the Winter Gardens, the Grand Theatre and the Illuminations. This is the heritage of the world’s first mass seaside resort, built for working people who wanted a great night out. It’s at the heart of who we are.
Blackpool in a new light
What the country reads in the headlines isn’t what Blackpool truly is. Blackpudlians know it, Lancastrians know it and visitors from across the UK know it. Now it’s time for the whole country and the world to see it.
This bid has been built by this town: Blackpool Council, Creative Blackpool, our cultural organisations, our artists and thousands of residents. I’ll keep making the case in Westminster, but the best argument for Blackpool will always be Blackpool itself.
So please, back the bid, share it, and tell everyone what you love about this town. It’s time to show Blackpool in a new light.