What is UK Town of Culture?
UK Town of Culture is a new national competition from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, celebrating the contribution towns make to the UK's story.
The winning town will receive £3 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028, while the two other category finalists will each receive £250,000 to deliver elements of their bids.
The programme is designed to bring people together, strengthen communities, increase participation and create a lasting legacy.
We are delighted to be shortlisted in the bid to become UK Town of Culture
Find out more about the next steps of the bid process here
Strabane's Opportunity
Being shortlisted puts Strabane among 15 towns from across the UK competing to become the first UK Town of Culture.
For us, this is a chance to put Strabane on the national stage and showcase the talent, creativity, resilience and community spirit that already exists here.
It is also a chance to create something new — connecting culture, sport, education, business, tourism and community life and opening up opportunities for people of all ages.
What’s Next?
The next phase of the competition will see Strabane develop and submit its final bid in November 2026. This will be followed by a visit from the judging panel in early 2027, before the winning town and two runners-up are announced in March 2027.