Sandown shortlisted to become UK's first Town of Culture

Sandown has been shortlisted in the race to become the UK's first-ever Town of Culture, beating hundreds of other entries from across the country.

The Isle of Wight town is one of just 15 places selected from almost 400 applications submitted to the UK Government's inaugural UK Town of Culture 2028 competition.

Sandown has been shortlisted in the small towns category alongside Ilfracombe, the Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Strabane and Stockton Town Centre Ward.

Each of the shortlisted towns will now receive £60,000 to help develop a full bid before an independent judging panel selects one finalist from each of the three size categories.

The overall winner, due to be announced early next year, will receive a £3 million government grant to stage a year-long programme of cultural events in 2028.

The two remaining finalists will each receive £250,000 to deliver part of their proposed programme.

The competition is part of the Government's plans to boost pride in local communities through arts, heritage and culture.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

"I want to say a massive congratulations to the fifteen shortlisted towns and I wish them luck in the next round of the competition.

"The fact that we received so many applications just goes to show how proud people are of their towns.

"When I launched this competition, I wanted to shine a light on our amazing towns all across the UK and the huge contribution they make to our national life."

The shortlist was chosen by an independent panel chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, creator of Brookside, Grange Hill and Hollyoaks.

Sir Phil said the response to the competition had been "overwhelming", with almost 400 towns showcasing their pride and ambition.

He added:

"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."

Sandown's full bid will now be developed over the coming months, setting out how the town would use culture to celebrate its heritage, support local communities and attract more visitors.

The winning town will host a season of cultural events in 2028, with the Government hoping the programme will bring long-term economic and tourism benefits, similar to those seen in previous UK City of Culture winners including Derry-Londonderry, Hull, Coventry and Bradford.

Sandown ‘Overjoyed’ To Move Into Next Round Of UK Town Of Culture 2028

Sandown’s bid team is buoyant after learning their proposal to become UK Town of Culture 2028 has been chosen by Sir Phil Redmond’s national judging panel to progress in the competition.

Sandown is one of 15 towns selected from nearly 400 across the UK who will now receive £60,000 to ramp up their bid to the next stage.

The bid makes no bones about Sandown’s rundown reputation and plans to use UK Town of Culture status for the local community to become ‘Tide Turners’ and kickstart the coastal town’s regeneration.

Sandown mayor Alex Lightfoot says:

"This is a huge moment for Sandown and we are overjoyed. Our bid evolves from the community up and we aim to show how together we can be Tide Turners." 

Sandown now has until the autumn to impress the Town of Culture judges with the next stage of the town’s bid. 

Sandown bid leader Tracy Mikich has a grateful message for the Town of Culture judges:

"In the spirit of the Sandown Clown, this is a giant high-stepping leap for Sandown.

"We had great fun as a community formulating an entry based on our incredible story, one that embraces glitz and decay, ebb and flow, and all the wonder we can envisage.

"Thank you for selecting us, watch this space".