Skip to content

City of Culture win could 'put us on map', say locals

Flora Grafton, Hayley Coyle, David Spereall and Nicola ReesYorkshire
BBC Large outdoor music festival stage at Tramlines, viewed from within a packed crowd. Bright flames shoot up from the front of the stage while green laser beams cut across the scene. Giant video screens on either side display a performer in a dynamic pose. Many audience members hold smartphones above their heads to record the show. The stage canopy features “TRAMLINES” branding, and the evening sky is clear blue as the performance takes place.BBC
The annual Tramlines music festival is just one of the city's major cultural achievements

The announcement that Sheffield has been shortlisted to become the UK's City of Culture 2029 has been broadly welcomed by people living and working there.

Blackpool, Milton Keynes and Wrexham have also been shortlisted alongside Sheffield, with the winner set to secure a £10m prize fund to deliver a year of cultural events.

Shoppers in Sheffield have told the BBC the spotlight that comes with the title would be good for the city having seen two other Yorkshire cities, Hull and Bradford, previously win the prestigious title.

Mark Dickman, 52, who lives in Fulwood, said he thought being named UK City of Culture would "put the city on the map and boost public perception of Sheffield".

He said he thought becoming City of Culture 2029 would be "a good thing", but added that regardless of the result, Sheffield could still market its culture better.

"It doesn't do a particularly great job of shouting about itself like Liverpool and Manchester does," he said.

"It does culture well internally, but not really externally. I think if you live in Sheffield you like it, but if you're from outside the city, it's not really your first port of call for a visit."

David Spereall/BBC A man in his early fifties, wearing a turquoise zipped coat and a blue rucksack. He is posing for a photo on a city centre street.David Spereall/BBC
Mark Dickman says Sheffield needs to market itself better to the world beyond

A new location is crowned UK City of Culture every four years as part of a government bid to boost pride and economic growth across the country, with the winning city due to be announced next May.

The shortlisted cities were recommended by the UK City of Culture expert advisory panel, chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, and were whittled down from nine longlist applications including Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth and Swindon.

The shortlisted cities will now each receive at least £125,000 to bring elements of their bids to life.

Luke Nash, who is 28, remembers the impact the City of Culture had in his native Hull, when it held the title in 2017.

"It put a good spotlight on it when it had previously been overlooked," he says.

"I think it would be a good thing for Sheffield. There's lots of museums, galleries - and the people are great as well."

David Spereall/BBC A man in his late twenties with long brown hair, a goatee and glasses. He is wearing a red coat and a rucksack.David Spereall/BBC
Luke Nash says his native Hull benefited from being UK City of Culture in 2017

Joseph Fagan, 72, from Crookes, which was recently branded the UK's sixth coolest neighbourhood, said he thought Sheffield had as "good a chance as any" of being named City of Culture.

"The student population, I think, brings a lot of life to the city," he said.

"You've got the Peak District as well - whichever direction you go out from the city you've got great countryside."

David Spereall/BBC A man in his early seventies with glasses. He is pictured on a city centre street wearing a black raincoat.David Spereall/BBC
Joseph Fagan highlights Sheffield's proximity to the Peak District as a major plus point

Meanwhile, several people highlighted Sheffield's theatre and music scenes as a reason it should win the coveted prize.

Bands such as Pulp and The Arctic Monkeys famously originated from the city, while The Crucible will soon be revamped after it was recently announced the World Snooker Championship would remain in its spiritual home until 2045.

"There's something for everyone here," said Val Newbolt, who came to Sheffield as a student from her native Sunderland.

"A lot of local musicians from here have done well. You've got the cinemas, too, and you've got the Arena, which puts on a lot of different shows."

However, she raised a slight concern about the state of the city centre, which, like many others, has seen several shop units close in recent years.

That view was echoed by 51-year-old Joanne Cartwright, who answered "yes and no" when asked if being named City of Culture would be a good thing for Sheffield.

"It feels like the city centre's taken a dive," she said.

"Covid didn't help. There's a lot of rough sleepers now and they can be quite abusive.

"But every city has its rough parts and its good parts. I do think Sheffield has a lot to offer culturally.

"I think being City of Culture would give it a boost."

Getty Wide view of a modern public square outside the Crucible theatre in Sheffield. The theatre entrance with large “CRUCIBLE” lettering stands on the left, while an ornate cream-colored theatre building lines the right side. A cyclist rides across the largely empty paved plaza under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.Getty
The Crucible Theatre, which hosts the World Snooker Championships, will soon be revamped

Councillor Fran Belbin, leader of Sheffield City Council, told BBC Radio Sheffield the city's bid showed how the UK City of Culture 2029 title would "involve more communities, reduce inequalities in the city, increase access to the cultural centre and drive growth and regeneration".

Belbin said it was Sheffield's heritage that made it stand out against the other shortlisted locations.

"We've got our fantastic industrial heritage, with everything from Sheffield having the world's first football club to the pioneering electronic music we've produced.

"We've got internationally acclaimed theatre and neighbourhood traditions that exist across the city as well.

"We've got a really authentic and inclusive cultural identity."

"I can't speak for the other cities on the list, but I know Sheffield can deliver an absolutely fantastic experience," she added.

Group photo of people gathered indoors at an event, holding large yellow signs that read “Grassroots” and “to globals.” A sign in the background reads “Sheffield 2022.” Many participants have their arms raised above their heads. The scene is lit with stage lighting against a dark backdrop, with the bold yellow lettering standing out prominently in the foreground.
Fran Belbin, leader of Sheffield City Council, says it is Sheffield's heritage that makes it stand out

Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, listener Nick said Sheffield being named UK City of Culture 2029 would be a "no brainer".

"It's already a city of culture," he said.

"It's got museums, galleries, artwork, sporting legends."

The list of Sheffield's offerings was "endless", including food and music festivals, plenty of green space and even the National Video Game Museum, he explained.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called the competition an "undiluted celebration of what makes our largest towns and cities so brilliant".

"Great culture is everywhere, but the opportunity to showcase it, to put it on display and to show how it is woven into our national story is not", she added.

Research by the University of Warwick and Coventry University, previously showed that Coventry's year as City of Culture helped to generate more than £183m for the local economy.

Last year, Bradford hosted the prestigious Turner Prize exhibition as part of its programme of cultural celebrations, and that show drove a 44% increase in visitors to the city's Cartwright Hall.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North

More on this story