Bradford named as the UK City of Culture 2025

Bradford’s big win will attract millions in investment for the city (Picture: Getty Images)

Bradford has been named at the UK City of Culture 2025 by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.

The West Yorkshire city fought off tough competition from Durham, Southampton and Wrexham to win the coveted title.

It took the title from Coventry which managed to attract £172million worth of investment after receiving the honour.

Bradford locals were filmed cheering in the streets after Dorries made the announcement live on BBC’s The One Show.

In a statement, she said: ‘Art and culture should be accessible to everyone and this prestigious title will help Bradford deliver unforgettable events for communities on their doorstep.

‘There was stiff competition and I thank County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough for their excellent bids.

‘Coventry has shown us how powerful the UK City of Culture title is at boosting investment, attracting visitors and leaving a lasting legacy for local people.’

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Coventry were good sports about Bradford taking the title from them

Bradford will now receive £275,000 in initial seed funding to make sure the city can hit the ground running and get the wheels in motion early as it develops its plans for 2025.

This grant will help pave the way for a year filled with cultural activities and events.

The Bradford 2025 official bid account on Twitter wrote: ‘This is our time tocelebrate our extraordinary district – and for our young population to becomeleaders and change-makers to begin an exciting new chapter in our story.’

For the first time in the history of the UK City of Culture competition, each of the runners up will also receive a grant of £125,000 to go towards the best parts of their bids.

Bradford is a young and vibrant city with a rich heritage with cultural assets including the Bronte Parsonage, Saltaire UNESCO World Heritage Site and the National Science and Media Museum.

More: Bradford

The judges were impressed by the ambition of Bradford’s bid which, at its centre, celebrates the place where people live, the power of diversity and aims to create new opportunities for everyone.

Chief Executive of the Coventry City of Culture Trust Martin Sutherland congratulated Bradford for its win.

He said: ‘Everyone in Coventry wishes you the best of luck for your own fantastic and impactful year.

‘This will be a truly remarkable time for your city and we look forward to supporting you as you prepare to celebrate all that is special about Bradford in 2025.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Get your need-to-know latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more