COUNTY Durham has missed out on the coveted City of Culture 2025 title – leaving thousands in the region disappointed at missing out on millions of pounds worth of investment and a unique programme of events.

Despite County Durham’s 2025 bid team and other influential people gathering at Beamish Museum on Tuesday evening – they watched on as Culture Secretary announced on BBC’s The One Show that Bradford had landed the prize, beating off still compeititon from Southampton and Wrexham.

Following the big reveal there were a lot of disappointed faces after putting 18 months’ worth of work and effort into the region’s bid.

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Tuesday’s decision means that County Durham has missed out on a reported 15 million visitors, an injection of hundreds of millions of pounds into the economy and the creation and safeguarding of thousands of jobs.  

The shortlist was compiled from a record group of 20 that had initially registered bids to take over the title, currently held by Coventry.

The advisory panel, chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, visited the four shortlisted places before making their final recommendation in May, which was later approved by Ms Dorries.

For the first time this year, the eight longlisted winners received a £40,000 grant to strengthen their applications. They included Cornwall, Derby, Stirling and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon.

Before the winner was revealed on The One Show, it was cited what the 2025 City of Culture would enjoy, which would see it become a catalyst for levelling up, attract visitors to the area, and sparking investment.

It’s not clear at this time whether bid directors would be lodging another attempt for the 2029 City of Culture.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Congratulations to Bradford, which is a worthy winner of UK City of Culture 2025.

“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.”  

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are delighted that Bradford has been given the prestigious title of City of Culture 2025. We are looking forward to working with Bradford to make their programme an amazing success and to help share its fascinating heritage on a worldwide stage.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, we’ve been able to fund large-scale projects at past City of Culture award holders, Hull and Coventry.

"We have witnessed first-hand the transformational effects that this title can bring, creating a deeper sense of place, pride and identity. 

"We look forward to the exciting opportunities it will bring to the people of Bradford now and into the future. Congratulations Bradford!”

Since winning the title, Coventry has seen more than £172 million invested in funding music concerts and the UK’s first permanent immersive digital art gallery, as well as a further £500 million for the city’s regeneration, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said.

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