Ipswich will not become UK City of Culture in 2029 after the Suffolk county town failed to secure a place on the competition's shortlist, the BBC reported on Thursday. The town was among nine longlisted candidates, each of which received £60,000 to develop its proposal, but it has now been cut from the running.
Blackpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Wrexham remain in contention for the title and the £10m of government investment that comes with it. The winner is due to be announced in early 2027.
Why it matters
The City of Culture programme, run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), is designed to use arts and culture as a driver of regeneration and to strengthen local pride. For Ipswich, the bid became a focal point for organisers, businesses and residents who argued the town deserved a bigger national platform.
Missing the shortlist closes off the immediate prospect of the £10m prize, but those involved in the campaign argue the work done so far has already shifted how Ipswich views itself. According to the BBC, the town's MP and bid leaders have both stressed that the effort built confidence, partnerships and ambition that will outlast the result.
MP says bid changed how the town sees itself
Jack Abbott, the MP for Ipswich, said the outcome was not the one supporters had wanted, but that he remained proud of the town. He said the bid had altered Ipswich's sense of its own potential and that the ideas, aspirations and confidence generated during the process would remain.
Amy Vaughan, bid director for Ipswich 2029, said the campaign had aimed to go further but that the decision did not diminish what the town had accomplished. She said the bid was intended to demonstrate what Ipswich could achieve when it pulled together, and that this had happened.
Lee Walker, chief executive of Ipswich Central, the business improvement district organisation for the town centre, said a win would have accelerated the town's cultural transformation and raised its national profile. He said that goal remains, and that the relationships and partnerships formed during the bid will continue despite the setback.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy addressed the places that did not progress, saying their cultural contribution is recognised and valued and that the bids they produced will create opportunities in the years ahead, according to the BBC.
High-profile backers and a ten-year strategy
The Ipswich campaign drew support from prominent figures with ties to the town. Pop star Ed Sheeran, who has spoken about the town's influence on him as a person and an artist, backed the bid and described Ipswich and Suffolk as home. Teenage drummer Nandi Bushell, who has performed with the Foo Fighters and Lenny Kravitz, also supported the campaign, saying the town's backing had been essential to her development as a musician.
Ipswich Town chairman and chief executive Mark Ashton confirmed the football club contributed £25,000 to the bid, describing the club as delighted to formally sponsor the effort.
Separately, a culture and heritage strategy for Ipswich was published on Wednesday, backed by local councils, the town's business improvement district group, Arts Council England and a local theatre. The document sets out ambitions for the next decade, including widening access to cultural opportunities, giving young people a role in shaping the town and better connecting communities.
Douglas Rintoul, chief executive and artistic director of the New Wolsey Theatre, said there was a genuine groundswell in Ipswich, with cultural organisations, leadership, businesses and communities uniting around what the town can achieve.
The competition is open to more than cities alone: large towns, regions and groups of places working together are now eligible, which is why Ipswich could enter despite its status as a town. Applicants are required to explain how they would spend the prize money and to set out a vision for a year of events. The winning area holds the title for 12 months and stages large-scale events to draw visitors, alongside activities intended to strengthen community ties. Previous titleholders include Hull in 2017, Coventry in 2021 and Bradford in 2025.
The shortlisted locations now move forward in the selection process, with the winner expected to be named in early 2027.
