The Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced on October 22, 2026, that Blackpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Wrexham had been shortlisted for the UK City of Culture 2029, according to BBC News. Portsmouth, one of the nine locations longlisted in March, did not make the cut even as the city celebrates 100 years of city status this year. The four shortlisted places will each receive at least 125,000 pounds to refine their bids, while the overall winner, to be named early in 2027, will secure a 10 million pound prize to deliver cultural programming.
A government press release indicated the selections were recommended by an expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Phil Redmond. Culture Minister Stephanie Peacock noted that it had been such a competitive field and that the shortlisted locations all had something unique to offer. The longlist had also included Inverness, Ipswich, Middlesbrough and Swindon.
Leader of Portsmouth City Council Steve Pitt said he was bitterly disappointed but confirmed that the loss would not stop the city from making culture a priority. Pitt noted that the journey had already revealed the collective ambition and creativity within Portsmouth. The council will now focus on sustaining the momentum generated by the bid process.
Amanda Martin, Portsmouth North’s MP, said she was “absolutely gutted” and that everyone in the city “works so hard.” She added, “We can’t just stop just because we don’t get the city of culture. We have to use that momentum.” The news arrives as the city prepares to open a free exhibition at the Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery to mark its centenary of city status.
Past UK City of Culture programmes have delivered substantial economic impacts, with Hull’s 2017 tenure drawing more than six million visitors and generating around 300 million pounds according to local economic assessments. The title has previously gone to Derry-Londonderry in 2013, Coventry in 2021 and Bradford in 2025. Each cycle seeks to leverage culture for regeneration, skills development and increased civic pride across the UK.
All unsuccessful applicants will receive feedback on their bids from the advisory panel, a Department for Culture, Media and Sport update confirmed. Portsmouth had conducted extensive community consultation, involving more than 12,000 people in shaping its proposal under the We Are Pompey 2029 banner. The process underscored the city’s ambition to position culture at the heart of its development through 2040.
