'Unique' Merseyside area 'bursting with creativity' bids for first UK Town of Culture title
Sefton Council submits ambitious bid for Bootle to become the UK's first Town of Culture, supporting its ongoing regeneration.
The UK Town Of Culture competition will give additional funds to smaller areas which can not apply for City Of Culture status, and targets towns of all sizes across the country.
Applications opened on Wednesday, January 14 with three finalists to be named - one small, one medium and one large town, based on population. The overall winning town will be awarded £3 million to deliver a six-month cultural programme in 2028.
Sefton Council says its bid puts local people, creativity and community pride at the heart of the town’s future. If successful, it will fund a programme featuring arts, music, performance, heritage and wellbeing activities designed and delivered with local residents, artists, businesses, schools and community organisations.
The programme “would aim to attract visitors, create opportunities for local talent, leave a lasting legacy beyond 2028 and complement the ongoing transformation of Bootle Strand and the town centre”.
The local authority says its bid builds on Bootle’s thriving cultural scene, led by Salt and Tar. The venue already boasts major headline acts for its 2026 Music Weekender, including Nile Rodgers & CHIC and The Waterboys.
The council is forming a Bootle Place Partnership Group to ensure a collaborative approach and an authentic local voice throughout, with the group to include representatives from the local community and community groups, businesses, schools and local colleges.
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Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, said: “Bootle is bursting with creativity, community spirit and a determination to shape its own future.
“Our UK Town of Culture 2028 bid is focused on local people, celebrating what makes Bootle unique, opening up opportunities for our young people, creative talent and using culture to support regeneration and wellbeing.
“If we’re successful, the six-month programme we have planned for summer 2028 will bring new experiences to our streets and spaces and leave a real legacy of pride, skills and investment for years to come.
“And becoming the first UK Town of Culture will be a great boost for the ongoing regeneration based around Bootle Strand.”