Bradford is UK City of Culture 2025!
We’re thrilled to announce that Bradford District will be the UK City of Culture 2025.
The winner of the hotly contested competition was revealed live on BBC One’s The One Show today, 31 May 2022, by Nadine Dorries MP, Secretary of State for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The landmark year is set to deliver more than 1,000 new performances and events, including 365 artist commissions, a series of major arts festivals, and exciting national and international collaborations.
Its themes will be rooted in the unique heritage and character of Bradford. It will reveal the magic of the district that is held in its people, its ambition and, above all, its potential.
So much hard work has gone on across the district. We’d like to thank all the people who have helped shape the process, from community organisations and the creative sector to businesses and a whole host of groups that have put on a fantastic show of support.
‘I am absolutely delighted that Bradford District will be the UK City of Culture in 2025,’ said Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire. ‘No city deserves this more. The entire year will be a fitting showcase for the incredible cultural and artistic talent in this amazing city.’
“ This is a huge opportunity to celebrate our extraordinary cultural heritage – and for our young, ethnically diverse population, who have been so involved in shaping our bid, to become leaders and changemakers and begin a new chapter in our story. Bradford has been overlooked and underestimated for so long – it’s now our time to shine.”