Sheffield on shortlist to host Great Exhibition of the North - but Scunthorpe misses out

Sheffield has made the shortlist of towns or cities which could host the Great Exhibition of the North in 2018.
Sir Gary Verity.Sir Gary Verity.
Sir Gary Verity.

The city was chosen alongside Blackpool, Bradford and Newcastle-Gateshead.

Scunthorpe, Halifax, Harrogate, St Helens and Whitehaven narrowly missed out on reaching the final round.

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The department for culture, media and sport has vowed to work with the bidders not shortlisted to ensure as many people enjoy and benefit from the exhibition as possible.

The event will run for at least two months and showcases the great creative, cultural and design sectors across the region.

The shortlist will now be assessed by the Great Exhibition board before a final selection is made by ministers.

The chosen venue will be announced in the autumn. The Government is contributing £5 million towards the exhibition and a further £15m to a legacy fund to attract further cultural investment in the north.

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Sir Gary Verity, chair of the Great Exhibition of the North board, said: “The quality of all nine submissions was incredibly strong and I’d like to congratulate the four towns and cities who have made it through to the final shortlist. I and the Great Exhibition board are very much looking forward to meeting the teams behind the four shortlisted bids to hear their exciting proposals in person. This is an incredible opportunity to really showcase the creativity and culture we have here in the north.”

Matt Hancock, minister of state for digital and culture, said he was “thrilled we received so many innovative bids.”