County bids to become UK City of Culture

Herefordshire could become the first county to be named UK City of Culture after the local authority announced its intention to bid for the 2029 competition.

Herefordshire Council said it had submitted an initial Expression of Interest (EOI) to the government, a zero-cost commitment at the start of a lengthy process even before shortlisting.

If successful, the county would potentially receive up to £10m in funding and succeed previous winners Derry (2013), Hull (2017), Coventry (2021) and Bradford (2025).

"This is a partnership bid for a rural county with big ambitions," councillor Elissa Swinglehurst, the council's cabinet member for culture and environment, said.

"We believe that opportunities to experience and enjoy culture should be part of everyday life, everywhere.

"Our partnership bid emphasises the importance of access to culture to enrich the lives of people across Herefordshire."

According to the official guidance from the government, the award is not limited to cities.

It said: "We welcome bids from places across the UK and bidding is not restricted to cities.

"As a guide, we also encourage bids from larger towns, regions or groups of places."

Previous bidders have included Cornwall, Lancashire and County Durham.

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