Milton Keynes
City of culture 2029
Back the bid
WE’VE BEEN SHORTLISTED!
Milton Keynes has been shortlisted to be UK City of Culture 2029 alongside Blackpool, Sheffield and Wrexham.
The UK City of Culture is the UK’s most prestigious cultural title, celebrating places that use culture and creativity to transform communities, attract visitors and create lasting social and economic impact. The winner will be announced in early 2027.
Ode to Milton Keynes by Maureen Onwunali
A newly commissioned poem created in support of Milton Keynes’ bid can be viewed below.
UK City of Culture 2029 Bid Posters
A new series of 11 unique posters celebrating Milton Keynes’ people, places and stories will go on display across the city as momentum continues around the city’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2029. You can view the posters below.
The collection features work from local artists and designers who were invited to share their own creative response to Milton Keynes’ bid. Commissioned by MK creative agency Pooleyville, the posters reflect different aspects of local life, from the city’s history and distinctive design to its communities, culture, landscape and future ambitions.
Featured in the exhibition are Thomas Cuthbertson, Thomas Eke, Chris Henley, ChiaChun Li, Made by Berry, Marianna Madriz, Serge Seidlitz, Sahaana Shankar, Frances Szweda, Rookie Services and WHP Creative. The posters will be displayed in multiple locations, and thanks go to centre:mk, MKDP and Unity Place for sharing spaces where they will be seen.
What is UK City of Culture?
UK City of Culture is a major national programme led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Previous winners include:
Derry-Londonderry (2013), Hull (2017), Coventry (2021) and Bradford (2025)
The title brings a full year of events – from music, theatre and art to digital innovation, heritage, sport and more. But the real impact lasts far longer, helping cities grow creatively, socially and economically for years to come.
The winning city for 2029 will be announced in early 2027.
What would winning mean for Milton Keynes?
Winning UK City of Culture 2029 would be a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Milton Keynes. It would bring investment, new cultural opportunities and a year-long programme of events and activities celebrating the creativity, diversity and ambition that define our city.
What would happen next?
If Milton Keynes is named UK City of Culture 2029, work would begin immediately to develop and deliver an ambitious programme shaped by local communities, artists, organisations and residents from across the city.
Will it make a difference to me?
Yes. If you live or work in Milton Keynes winning could help create new opportunities for local people, support artists and creative businesses, attract visitors and investment, and leave a lasting legacy for future generations. It would also help strengthen the city’s cultural offer and celebrate the communities that make Milton Keynes unique.
We have some tough competition, and we’re shortlisted alongside three amazing cities. But we have every reason to be confident in our bid.
Will the programme be inclusive?
Yes. Inclusion is central to the Bid, with a commitment to ensuring that deaf, blind, disabled and neurodiverse residents, artists and visitors, can participate in and help shape the cultural activity across the programme.
What could winning look like for us?
Ideas in the Bid include:
– a cultural programme reaching communities across Milton Keynes
– an artist-in-residence programme
– new cultural spaces
– more opportunities for young people to take part in -creative activities
– creative kits for every child staying overnight in hospital
– new cultural events, festivals and performances
– a digital archive capturing the stories of the year
Will activities only take place in the city centre?
No. A key principle of the Bid is, “Beyond the Grid” ensuring cultural activity reaches communities right across Milton Keynes and that creativity is accessible to everyone, where they live.
What does it mean for young people?
Young people are at the heart of the Bid. There are many opportunities designed to inspire creativity, build confidence and ensure children and young people can access and shape cultural experiences across the city.
What about the £10 million awarded to the city?
The winning city receives £10 million from the Government, but experience from previous UK City of Culture programmes show that the wider benefits can be significantly greater through additional investment, visitor spending and long-term regeneration.
For example, Bradford’s year as the UK City of Culture 2025 generated an estimated £1.08 billion for the local visitor economy.
What if we don’t win?
While we are focused on making the strongest possible case for Milton Keynes, this bid is already helping to shine a spotlight on the city’s cultural strengths and ambitions. Each runner-up city will receive £125,000 to support local artists and creative communities, helping to build a lasting legacy for Milton Keynes.
With our 60th anniversary fast approaching, we’re continuing to invest in culture and creativity. Thanks to £297,000 from Arts Council England’s Place Partnership Fund, we’ll be delivering exciting new projects including The Twilight Zone, a youth-led digital festival, and Culture Kids, a programme offering every baby born in Milton Keynes in 2027 and their family free access to cultural experiences.
Whatever the outcome, this is not the end of the journey. We’re just getting started!
GET MORE INFORMATION
For assets and press releases to help support our UK City of Culture 2029 Bid and Milton Keynes being shortlisted, please download our media pack
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Back the Bid and be part of something transformational for the city. We’re inviting you to stand behind Milton Keynes’ bid to become the UK City of Culture 2029.
