Wrexham confirms bid for UK City of Culture 2029 crown

Wrexham has formally announced its intention to bid for the title of UK City of Culture 2029 after reaching the final stages of the 2025 competition before losing out to Bradford.

Wrexham Council and local partners say the renewed bid will focus on celebrating the area’s culture, heritage and community spirit, supported by a programme designed to strengthen long-term economic and social development. The campaign will run under the banner Wrecsam2029.

City of Culture status, awarded every four years by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), brings a year-long programme of cultural events to the winning city, region or town.

Past winners have attracted investment, boosted tourism and delivered culture-led regeneration schemes.

Bid organisers say the title could create new jobs and attract funding and other benefits that would be felt well beyond 2029.

A new City of Culture Board has been established to oversee the bid. Chaired by Joanna Knight OBE, the board sits under the recently formed Wrexham Community & Culture Trust and brings together 13 trustees from sectors including the arts, culture, business, sport, education and community inclusion.

Ms Knight said Wrexham was “in it to win it” and described the bid as an opportunity to showcase “what makes Wrexham so special”.

“The people of Wrexham are the heartbeat of this bid,” she said. “Their energy, creativity and playfulness will make our journey exciting and vibrant. We are building on the momentum of our previous campaign and working to create a bid that is inclusive, ambitious and deeply rooted in our communities.”

Lessons

Culture Bid Director Amanda Evans said vital lessons had been learned from the previous campaign “We learned so much from our last bid.”

She added: “This time we’re building something more dynamic, inclusive and forward-looking. The excitement and commitment we’re already seeing from local people shows just how ready Wrexham is to take this next step.”

To find out more about the bid and what it could mean for Wrexham, and to sign up
to the mailing list to receive the latest news and updates, visit www.wrecsam2029.wales