Could Perthshire land a UK Town of Culture prize?

£3m up for grabs for winning Town

Towns in Perthshire are being asked to submit bids to become UK Town of Culture, 2028.

Groups or partnerships wishing to make an application for the £3m winning prize have until mid-day this Friday to complete an initial Interest Form and send it to Perth and Kinross Council.

Thereafter, official Expressions of Interest, upon final submission, will be judged by an expert panel led by Grange Hill and Brookside creator, Sir Phil Redmond.

Local authority support

All bids must be made through a local authority, but Perth and Kinross Council are ready to support credible bids, with Perthshire replete with special towns of historical and scenic interest and significance.

From the Victorian influenced towns of Highland Perthshire such as Pitlochry and Aberfeldy to the ancient market towns of Crieff and Blairgowrie, Perthshire is known for its natural beauty, attracting visitors from all over the planet.

The competition is being run by UK Government's Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

Perth and Kinross Council Leader, Councillor Eric Drysdale, said: "Perth and Kinross has a rich cultural history stretching back to before Roman times.

"There are few places as steeped in tradition and history as Perth and Kinross, and this has inspired poems, books, songs and plays for hundreds of years.

"And our towns also have thriving cultural lives today. From the Scottish Crannog Centre to Pitlochry Festival Theatre, we are fortunate to live in an area with such cultural riches.

"This is a great opportunity for our towns to claim their place in the spotlight and show the world what we have on offer. We are keen to hear from groups who want their towns to enter so we can support them through the bidding process."

Supporting Towns’ unique stories

Open to small, medium and large towns, the competition aims to highlight towns' visions and voices through a cultural programme which will be delivered during 2028.

Small towns have been categorised as those with populations under 20,000, medium towns are those with populations between 20,000 and 75,000 and large towns will have populations of more than 75,000.

Applications can also be made by groups of towns or places where they share a common story and geography.

The panel will judge towns on their unique story; how collaborating with their local communities will shape their proposed cultural programme; how they will ensure their programme is accessible for everyone; and how the partnership will deliver their town's programme successfully.

Support for short-listed submissions

The strongest Expressions of Interest will progress to a shortlist, with each shortlisted town receiving £60,000 to help develop their full application for the competition.

Three finalists - one small, one medium, one large town - will be chosen. The winner will be crowned UK Town of Culture 2028 and receive a £3 million prize to deliver their programme during 2028. The two runners-up will each receive £250,000 to deliver elements of their bid.

Any groups interested in putting their town forward should complete the declaration of interest form.