Bradford UK City of Culture 2025

This article is about the winning fourth designation of UK City of Culture. For an overview of the programme, see UK City of Culture. For the 2025 bidding process, see UK City of Culture 2025 bids.

Bradford UK City of Culture 2025

Logo of Bradford 2025
Date	Starts in 2025 for 12 months [a]
Location	Bradford, West Yorkshire
Type	UK City of Culture
Theme	Cultural
Organised by	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Predecessor	Coventry UK City of Culture 2021

Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 is a designation given to Bradford, England, between 2025 and 2029 by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The designation means that Bradford gains access to funding to improve its infrastructure and arts facilities, and will host a series of events celebrating local culture starting in 2025 for twelve months. Bradford won the designation on 31 May 2022,[1] winning over bids from County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough[2][3][4] to become the fourth UK City of Culture since the programme began in 2013, following Derry~Londonderry[b], Hull, and Coventry, as well as the second in Yorkshire. The 2025 bidding contest was launched on 29 May 2021, and was the first contest since 2013 open to local areas in the United Kingdom receiving twenty bids by July 2021.

Background

Main article: UK City of Culture

UK City of Culture is a designation given to a different city every four years by the DCMS with the aim of using the arts to celebrate and regenerate forgotten areas.[5]

Bidding and selection process

Main article: UK City of Culture 2025 bids

By the deadline at the end of July 2021, it was reported that a record number of twenty cities and areas had submitted bids to hold the title of UK City of Culture 2025, a quarter of which are from Wales. The then Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden MP, stated that the sheer number of applicants for the title was a "testament to the huge success of City of Culture". The 2025 bidding competition has allowed for the first time, bids from regions and areas, including groups of towns across one or multiple local authorities, and even across the borders of the constituent countries. Those long-listed have been awarded £40,000 to support their bid progressing to the next stage of the competition.[6] The holder was set to be announced in December 2021, but was postponed due to the number of applicants, with a longlist released on 8 October 2021,[7] a final shortlist of bidders was released on 18 March 2022.[8][9] Bradford was announced as the 2025 holder by Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Nadine Dorries on 31 May 2022,[1][10] winning over the other shortlisted bids from County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough which all received £125,000 as runners-up.[1][2][3][4] The competition was judged by Sir Phil Redmond, chair of the expert advisory panel for the UK City of Culture 2025 competition, who led visits to each bidder prior to the final announcement.^[citation needed]

Programme

Bradford 2025 – Kirsty Taylor and Steven Frayne

The opening ceremony took place on 10 January 2025 with an outdoor performance in freezing temperatures by magician Steven Frayne and poets, singers and dancers from Bradford.[11][12][13]

The year-long programme is also due to include: a season of performances celebrating the life of Andrea Dunbar; Asian Dub Foundation with a live-score of La Haine; Richard Hawley with the Black Dyke Band; The Bradford Progress, new colaborative pieces by Charles Hazlewood; newly commissioned dance performances by Akram Khan at the Bradford Alhambra, featuring inter-generational and inter-cultural performers from around the city.[11]

See also

• Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 – the previous winner
• European Capital of Culture – the scheme that inspired UK City of Culture

Notes

1. The programme can start anytime in 2025 and will last 12 months, and can extend into 2026, i.e. starts in May 2025, ends in May 2026.
2. Branded using this name for the city to avoid the naming dispute.

References

1. "Bradford crowned UK City of Culture 2025". GOV.UK. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
2. "City of Culture 2025: Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough revealed as four areas in the running for title". Sky News. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
3. "The final four contenders for the UK City of Culture 2025 title". The Independent. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
4. "UK City of Culture 2025 shortlist revealed". GOV.UK. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
5. "Guidance for Bidding Cities" (PDF). GOV.UK. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
6. "Record number of bids for UK City of Culture 2025". BBC News. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
7. "UK City of Culture 2025 longlist revealed". GOV.UK. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
8. "UK city of culture 2025: Southampton and Bradford among those on shortlist". The Guardian. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
9. "UK City of Culture 2025: Derby misses out on shortlist". BBC News. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
10. "Date for City of Culture announcement revealed – how to watch live". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
11. Bakare, Lanre (10 January 2025). "Bradford city of culture: five events to look out for in 2025". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
12. "Bradford City of Culture: Opening night". BBC News. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
13. "'Real energy' – How Bradford is set to deliver in its year of opportunity". Yorkshire Post. 11 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2025.