Bradford named UK City of Culture 2025
The team behind the winning bid say it'll give the "overlooked" city it's "time to shine"
Last updated 1st Jun 2022
Bradford has won the competition to be named City of Culture 2025, beating out County Durham, Wrexham and Southampton.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries made the announcement on The One Show on Tuesday, and said Bradford "thoroughly deserved the win".
Those behind the winning bid believe it could bring as much as £700 million into the district, as well as 3,000 new jobs.
They said Bradford will receive £275,000 in initial seed funding as it develops its plans for 2025, which are set to feature more than 1,000 new performances and events including 365 artist commissions, a series of major arts festivals and major national and international collaborations.
Those involved in the campaign said the win is a "game-changer" for the district - which includes Bradford, Keighley, Ilkley, Haworth, Shipley and Bingley - and will put it "firmly on the national and international stage".
A creative director and a managing director will be appointed this year to lead the delivery.
The shortlist was compiled from a record group of 20 that registered bids to take over the title from Coventry.
Imran Hussain, Labour MP for Bradford East, told of his delight at the win, tweeting: "Bradford is beautiful, Bradford is brilliant, and Bradford is the now the #UKCityofCulture2025!!
"There really is no better place, and I'm beyond delighted that the Minister agrees with me."
The Bradford 2025 official bid account on Twitter wrote: "This is our time to celebrate our extraordinary district - and for our young population to become leaders and change-makers to begin an exciting new chapter in our story."
Bradford Council leader, councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, said the title "brings with it so many opportunities for people not only in terms of creativity and culture, but also for employment, attracting inward investment, boosting the local economy and opening up opportunities for young people to enhance their skills".
Artist Shanaz Gulzar, the chairwoman of Bradford's bid, said the area had been "overlooked and underestimated for so long" but now was its "time to shine".
Since winning the title in 2017, Coventry has seen more than £172 million invested in music concerts and the UK's first permanent immersive digital art gallery, as well as a further £500 million for the city's regeneration, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said.