Sheffield's chances of winning UK City of Culture - here’s how it compares to Blackpool, Portsmouth and more
Sheffield is on the longlist to become UK City of Culture 2029
Experts have named Sheffield as one of the frontrunners to be named UK City of Culture in 2029.
The UK City of Culture is a competition run by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is designed to recognise and celebrate the culture of cities and contribute to regeneration and cultural participation through a year-long cultural programme, with the winning city receiving £10m to deliver a year-long cultural programme based on "local strengths and stories".
The title is awarded every four years, with Derry-Londonderry becoming the first winner in 2013 followed by Hull in 2017, Coventry in 2021 and most recently Bradford in 2025.
Sheffield was selected for the longlist back in March, receiving a £60,000 grant to develop its own bid.
"This is a chance to showcase the confidence, creativity and ambition that defines Sheffield,” said the city’s former council leader Tom Hunt at the time.
The application guidance for UK Cities of Culture is very broad and puts the onus on the city itself to decide on their own definition of culture.
Sheffield for example could focus on theatre based on its proud history at the Crucible which plays host to the Snooker World Championship while also providing a great venue for many talented actors to perform.
Other areas which could help the Steel City win include theatre, music and live performance, heritage, museums and galleries, film, photography and animation along with publishing and media.
Nearly 25,000 creatives live and work in the city and wider region, contributing over £1bn a year to the economy.
As it stands, Sheffield is one of nine cities in contention to win the UK City of Culture award, with oddsmakers at OLBG making the Steel City the joint third favourite behind Wrexham and Middlesbrough.
Here’s the full list of city’s aiming to win the UK City of Culture Award and their chances based on data from OLBG.
- Wrexham - 4/6
- Middlesbrough 5/4
- Blackpool 6/4
- Sheffield 6/4
- Milton Keynes 2/1
- Swindon 3/1
- Inverness-Highland - 4/1
- Portsmouth - 6/1
- Ipswich - 6/1