• Swindon & Wiltshire Culture
• Thursday October 22 2026

Swindon misses City of Culture shortlist

Swindon has missed out on the final shortlist for UK City of Culture 2029, ending its bid for the title and a £10 million prize fund.

But council leaders and others involved in the bid insist the campaign has created a lasting platform for the town’s cultural future.

Blackpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Wrexham were today (Thursday) named as the four places to progress from a nine-strong longlist.

Swindon lost out alongside Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough and Portsmouth after the expert advisory panel, chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, assessed the full bids against competition criteria.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not published a public ranking or detailed reasons for Swindon’s omission.

It said the four shortlisted bids were recommended by the independent panel, while unsuccessful longlisted applicants will receive detailed feedback on areas for development and guidance on maintaining cultural momentum.

The decision also means Swindon will not receive the £125,000 available to each shortlisted place to take forward elements of its bid, nor can it now compete for the £10 million prize attached to the 2029 title.

Council leader Gary Sumner said officials would “learn from this” to strengthen any future attempt, while Swindon Culture Collective chief executive Dr Roderick Hebden described making the longlist at the first attempt as “a real win”.

Swindon entered the competition to challenge outdated perceptions of the town and present a new story built on creativity, diversity, heritage, innovation and potential.

The bid was developed by Swindon Culture Collective and Swindon Borough Council.

More than 60 engagement events were held across the Borough, with thousands of residents contributing ideas through postcards, creative activities and online engagement. The campaign also drew support from businesses including Zurich, DoubleTree by Hilton Swindon and Gel Studios.

The bid came at a pivotal moment for the town, with the council developing a business case for a new theatre as part of wider plans to strengthen Swindon town centre and its cultural offer.

Councillor Matthew Vallender, cabinet member for culture, planning and regeneration, said: “Naturally, we’re disappointed not to progress further, but this isn’t the end of our ambition. Far from it. Swindon was one of just nine places across the country to make the longlist and we should be incredibly proud of that.”

He added: “This isn’t a ‘no’ to Swindon’s cultural ambitions. It’s a challenge to all of us to step up, strengthen our offer and put Swindon in an even stronger position for the future.”

The council and partners now plan to convert the campaign’s partnerships, evidence base and public engagement into practical action—strengthening the town’s cultural offer and building a coalition of residents, artists, schools, businesses and community organisations.

Rod said: “One competition result doesn’t define us. What matters is that we have sparked new conversations, created new connections and shown the confidence to think big about Swindon’s future.”

The 2029 winner will be announced in early 2027, becoming the fifth UK City of Culture after Derry-Londonderry, Hull, Coventry and Bradford.