Southampton launches bid to become city of culture

Southampton City Council has launched a bid to become the UK City of Culture 2025. 

The council said its bid team will be looking to involve everyone across Southampton in shaping what will be submitted to the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sports next year.

The competition, which is run every four years, brings great benefits to the winning city.

When Hull was UK City of Culture in 2017 it added £300m to their tourism market and up to £17m gross value added to their local economy.

The council has also enlisted several high-profile ambassadors to support the bid, including Lawrie McMenemy MBE, Shelina Permalloo and Craig David.

‘I am proud to be an ambassador for Southampton in the bid to become UK City of Culture 2025. I am passionate about our city,’ said the singer and DJ.

‘The inspiration for my first album Born To Do It came from experiences growing up in this special city,’ he added.

‘We have our fair share of challenges, especially now, but we who have been born and brought up here, and those who come from all parts of the world to make Southampton home, know how brilliant this city is at supporting each other and raising one another up during difficult times. Our future is not yet written. So I say to everyone in Southampton “join in”, and I say to everyone else “join us – choose Southampton”.’

Photo Credit – diego_torres (Pixabay)