City of Culture full bid 'celebrates' Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes' full bid for UK City of Culture celebrates its creativity, ambition and diversity and an "exciting vision for the years to come", its council leader has said.

The local authority has submitted its application for the 2029 crown, which it hopes will set it apart from eight other hopefuls long-listed earlier this year.

A shortlist will be announced in the autumn and the winner, which will receive £10m to help develop culture locally, will be named in early 2027.

"Milton Keynes has a remarkable story to tell and a bright future ahead," said Jane Carr.

"We believe we have put forward a compelling case for Milton Keynes and, as our campaign says, we're just getting started.

"This bid has been shaped by thousands of people from across our city, and I would like to thank everyone who has contributed their ideas, energy and support throughout the process."

Milton Keynes is competing with Blackpool, Inverness, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon and Wrexham, all of which received £60,000 to develop a full bid.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport said the title had "enormous benefits", including generating millions of pounds in investment, thousands of visitors and new jobs.

Milton Keynes hosts a variety of cultural events, including the recent Reggae Land at the National Bowl, where local poet Maureen Onwunali performed her 'An ode to Milton Keynes' poem to help launch the bid.

By 2029, subject to public consultation, it could be home to a "world-class" £76m 4,000-capacity entertainment venue at Elder Gate.

A panel of judges including the creator of Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks, Sir Phil Redmond, will make the final decision on the UK City of Culture after visiting shortlisted cities.

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