Portsmouth is working together for UK City of Culture 2029

To mark the next stage of Portsmouth's ambitious bid for the UK City of Culture 2029, hundreds of local people, cultural organisations and businesses are coming together to demonstrate the collective ambition behind the bid and the strength of support building across the city.

A dedicated team has been set up from organisations across the city, including Portsmouth City Council, Hive, Motiv8 who have joined Portsmouth Creates to help deliver the bid. This collaboration reflects the city-wide commitment behind Portsmouth’s ambition.

This builds upon work to date happening across the city to create a bold, community-led bid that reflects Portsmouth’s creativity, heritage and future ambition, with Team Portsmouth united behind a shared vision to put the city on the national cultural stage.

Dominic Jones, Chief Executive of The Mary Rose Trust, said: “Portsmouth is a city bursting with creative energy, diverse voices and ambitious ideas, and this bid is an opportunity to unlock even more for our communities and our cultural future. From our unique maritime heritage to the creativity, we see across the city today, backing We Are Pompey 2029 is about celebrating who we are and sharing that story with the world.”

Longlisted alongside Blackpool, Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, Swindon and Wrexham, Portsmouth is facing strong competition as it sets its sights on becoming the first city on the South Coast to secure the title.

Gemma Nichols, Chief Executive of Portsmouth Creates, said: “This is a bid shaped by the people of Portsmouth – a city defined by its creativity, ambition and strong sense of community. We Are Pompey 2029 is about bringing everyone together to tell our stories, celebrate our talent and use culture to create new opportunities and a lasting legacy for the city.”

If successful, the bid would create a lasting legacy for Portsmouth, helping to drive sustainable economic growth, attract investment and tourism, create new businesses and high-quality jobs, raise aspirations and develop skills, strengthen civic pride and community cohesion, and place cultural regeneration at the heart of the city’s long-term ambitions.

The next few months will focus on setting Portsmouth apart, with a programme of community engagement and partnership working designed to build momentum behind the bid. The shortlist is expected to be announced in autumn 2026, with visits from the UK City of Culture 2029 Expert Advisory Panel anticipated later in the year.

For more information, visit wearepompey2029.co.uk