THE TOWNS going through to the next stage of Town of Culture 2028 have been announced, with Redditch, Droitwich, Evesham and Malvern missing out.
Fifteen towns have been shortlisted after nearly 400 places from across the country entered the landmark competition.
This comes as the government confirmed that it has received 398 bids from over 400 hopeful towns as part of the competition.
The shortlisted towns are:
Small towns – Ilfracombe, Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Sandown, Strabane, and Stockton Town Centre Ward
Medium towns – Corby, Great Yarmouth, Leith, Pontypridd, and Port Talbot
Large towns – Basildon, Birkenhead, Grimsby and Rotherham
Chair of the independent panel, Sir Phil Redmond said: “The response to the competition has been, to say the least, overwhelming, quite literally from all four corners of the UK.
“It has been fantastic that nearly 400 towns have come forward, sharing their sense of pride, ambition and desire to demonstrate how much they have, and continue to contribute to our national story.
“That of course has made making the decision on the shortlist itself much more difficult, never mind the actual winners.
“I look forward to visiting those towns that have made the list and I am sure that, just like City of Culture, those that didn’t manage it will have found the experience of taking part worthwhile in strengthening partnerships, raising awareness and reminding us all of the depth and spread of the UK’s cultural landscape. I’d like to thank them all for that.”
