Could Gloucester become UK City of Culture?

A city described by a councillor as "bursting with culture" has approved plans to place a bid to be named the UK City of Culture in 2033.

Gloucester would be given £10m to deliver a year's worth of cultural activities, joining previous winners Derry, Hull, Coventry and Bradford.

Gloucester City councillor Caroline Courtney said the city had "every right to be ambitious".

Councillors at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday approved plans to launch a bid for the status as part of its 10-year cultural strategy.

"There hasn't been a City of Culture in the South West [of England] yet so maybe we'll be the first," she added.

The council's cabinet will later decide whether to make a bid for the status as part of its 10-year cultural strategy.

The government's UK City of Culture scheme was launched by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in 2009 in a bid to help regenerate parts of the UK.

Held every four years, the current title holder is Bradford, which was crowned in 2025. Contenders for the 2029 competition have already been whittled down to a longlist of just nine locations.

Courtney, who is the council's cabinet member for culture and leisure, described Gloucester putting in a bid for the 2033 competition as a "no brainer".

"We've got a fascinating history that dates all the way back to Roman times.

"We've got our beautiful historic buildings, we've got our diverse communities, we've got fantastic cultural events and festivals," the councillor added.

Even if the effort was unsuccessful, Courtney said "just the act of putting in a bid brings people together".

"[It] gets our story out there. Gloucester has an amazing story to tell, so it's right that we get it out there," she added.

The council's 10-year cultural strategy also includes Gloucester Docks bi-centenary celebrations, the development of the city's Greyfriars area and a "bold vision" for the Museum of Gloucester.

Louisa Davis, head of culture and leisure at the city council, said the "key aims" of the strategy were for Gloucester to be a city "alive with culture".

"What's exciting at the moment is that we are working together as a city to plan for 2027 and the bicentenary of the docks and that will be a city-wide cultural programme," she said.

"So we've got an opportunity to explore and test working in that really collaborative way next year," she added.

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