A shortlist of 15 towns has been announced for the UK’s first “Town of Culture” award, with Basildon, Grimsby and Rotherham among those named, alongside Pontypridd, Birkenhead and Isle of Bute. Strabane is also on the list. The competition is open to towns across the UK, with nearly 400 applications submitted before the shortlist was selected. The 15 shortlisted places are set to receive £60,000 each to develop more detailed bids for the award. The winner will be named in 2028, giving shortlisted towns time to build proposals for how they would deliver cultural programmes and engage local communities. While the sources agree on the shortlist size, the number of applicants, the funding amount, and the 2028 timeline, they present slightly different emphases on which towns are highlighted in their reporting. Overall, all accounts describe the same process: a first UK Town of Culture award, a competitive selection from hundreds of applicants, and financial support for shortlisted towns to progress to full bidding.