News

Strabane celebrates getting shortlisted for UK Town of Culture 2028 title

10 July 2026

There was celebration across the North West today following the announcement that Strabane has been successfully shortlisted to bid for the prestigious UK Town of Culture 2028 title.

Securing a spot on the shortlist represents a pivotal, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the rural border town. It vindicates an ambitious initial application centred on Strabane's unique cultural heritage, vibrant local talent, and its deep-rooted narrative of resilience and hope.

The successful application was shaped through weeks of intense collaboration between Derry City and Strabane District Council, arts organisations, community groups, schools, and the local business sector. By advancing to the next stage, Strabane takes a massive step toward unlocking substantial regional impact, driving economic regeneration, boosting town centre confidence, and attracting widespread national investment.

Reacting to the historic announcement, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Grace Uí Niallais, expressed her immense pride and excitement. She said: “This is a truly monumental day for Strabane and the entire district. We are absolutely thrilled to have secured a place on the shortlist for Town of Culture 2028, making it to the last 15 out of over 400 applications. Strabane is a place built on generations of grit, humour, and unmatched community spirit, and this milestone gives us the opportunity to showcase the town to a wider audience. I believe the town richly deserves to contest the final title.

“This is a unique, transformative opportunity to tell a new story of healing, pride, and a future built on hope. I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to everyone, including the Strabane based groups and organisations who poured their passion into this initial application, reflecting the passion, creativity and ambition of local cultural organisations, community groups, schools, businesses and partners who contributed to the development of the bid. We are incredibly excited to move to the next stage and look forward to working closely with all our partners to develop a spectacular, world-class final bid."

Following today’s announcement, the Council and its delivery partners will discuss the process of how it moves into the final bid development phase. The next stages is expected to include the establishment of a dedicated development team and steering committee to oversee the final submission. It will also see the Council engaging with local creatives, community groups, and cross-border partners to co-design the proposed official programme while also aligning potential funding streams from central government, arts councils, and private stakeholders to maximise the economic legacy for the town should the final bid be successful.

If successful in securing the final title, the year-long 2028 programme will offer people of all ages the opportunity to create, engage, and participate in a transformative celebration of music, arts, storytelling, and festivals. For local retailers and hospitality businesses, the title would provide a vital platform to tackle commercial challenges and welcome a massive influx of domestic and international visitors to the town.