West Midlands city sees off competition from Paisley, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland and Swansea to take title

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Coventry has been named the UK’s city of culture for 2021, giving it a one-off opportunity to boost the economy, tourism, civic pride and access to the arts – but also, its backers hope, a chance to be in the limelight and have some fun.

It follows Derry and Hull as the third UK city of culture, a programme modelled on the European capital of culture concept which had such a dramatic effect on the fortunes of Glasgow in 1990 and Liverpool in 2008.

The winner was announced by the arts minister John Glen live on BBC One’s The One Show, shortly after an instructional video for chorizo gnocchi bake and a feature on the decommissioned royal yacht Britannia.

Coventry triumphed over the cities of Swansea, Stoke-on-Trent and Sunderland and the town of Paisley.

David Burbidge, chair of the Coventry 2021 bid team, said: “It’s huge and just an incredible result. Most importantly, we are bringing this to the people of Coventry and they deserve this, so we are thrilled that we have been selected.”

He said the backing in the city had been huge, with one early survey saying 80% of residents supported the bid. About 150 businesses gave the bid financial support, which may have differentiated Coventry from other bidders.

“Coventry is a city which has taken a lot of knocks over the years and this is the time for us to spring back and to show the world what we are made of,” Burbidge said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Old St Michael’s Cathedral in Coventry. Photograph: Alamy

“We have the great advantage of being a very young city, seven years below the national age average [33 compared with 40] , which means more time to enjoy the success.

“We will make the most of this title and make everybody proud of Coventry, it is a great place.”

Glen said the award was “an incredible opportunity for Coventry to boost investment in the local economy, grow tourism and put arts and culture centre stage”.

Each of the bidders had made spirited pitches reflecting on cultural pasts and future ambitions.



Coventry is the birthplace of poet Philip Larkin, thriller writer Lee Child, singer Hazel O’Connor and the Specials, whose anthem to 1980s urban decay and rising unemployment, Ghost Town, was inspired by the city.

The city’s Our Cov promotional film reflected on its rebuilding and reinvention after the Blitz, the steeliness of its people and the boast “we shape, we make, we give more than we take”.

While Coventry celebrated, others reflected on what could have been.

Paisley, with a population of 77, 000, was easily the smallest bidder and had been one of the favourites. It was the first town to be shortlisted since the contest began in 2009.

Its promotional film used Lego to riff on it being the birthplace of the Paisley print, musicians Kelly Marie, Gerry Rafferty and Paolo Nutini, actors David Tennant and Gerard Butler, weatherman Seán Batty and Robertson’s marmalade. It also produced Andrew Neil.

The Scottish culture secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said Paisley’s bid had been inspiring. “Despite just missing out, they can all be immensely proud of their efforts. They have done Paisley and Scotland proud and there is much to build upon.”

Swansea, a city summed up by its most famous son Dylan Thomas as an “ugly, lovely town” was shortlisted last time round, when Hull won, so has cause to feel particularly sore.

The amount of upfront, guaranteed public money which goes to the UK city of culture is not huge in the scale of things. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is giving £3m but there will, it is expected, be government money forthcoming. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said Hull had received £15m in government funding as well as £3m from Arts Council England and £3m from the HLF.

EU rules British cities cannot be capitals of culture Read more

Importantly, the city of culture status gives leverage and access to other pots of money, public and private.

It has been estimated that Hull has had £1bn of investment since it won four years ago with an economic boost in 2017 alone of £60m. Hotel occupancy has been up 14% and train journeys up 17%. In the first three months, nine out of 10 residents participated in a cultural activity.

But more than the bald economic figures, the status has given Hull a spiritual lift and changed perceptions of the city. The blizzard of cultural highlights over the year has included a visit by the Royal Ballet, the first Prom outside London since the 1930s, hosting the Turner prize, 3,000 residents getting naked and blue for photographer Spencer Tunick and the world premiere of a new Richard Bean play, The Hypocrite.

The lure of the prize has intensified after the EU, post-Brexit, cancelled Britain’s previously agreed turn to have a city given European City of Culture status in 2023. That came after much time, effort and money had gone into formal bids from Belfast-Derry, Dundee, Leeds, Milton Keynes and Nottingham.

There have been protestations and talk of a possible legal challenge but little sign of any EU change of heart. All of that makes the 2021 status more attractive.

The five competing cities were visited by a panel of judges chaired by Phil Redmond, the Brookside and Grange Hill creator who headed Liverpool’s European capital of culture year.

Redmond said: “Once again, the process has highlighted the depth and strength of culture across the UK. That made it difficult choosing a winner, but I would like to congratulate Coventry and I am sure they will build on the legacy of Derry-Londonderry and Hull and bring about a transformational change in 2021.

“For those that weren’t successful this time, I hope, as has happened in other places, that they will look to the future and build on the wider cultural partnerships they have created.”

The other judges were: tourism and regeneration expert Suzanne Bond; design journalist Marcus Fairs, cultural consultant Bob Palmer; former Salford council chief Barbara Spicer; Aideen McGinley, former CEO of Derry’s urban regeneration company; Roy McEwan-Brown, the former chief executive of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra; and businessman Lord Rowe-Beddoe.

The UK city of culture programme was introduced by the then Labour culture secretary Andy Burnham and has spawned a London version, with mayor Sadiq Khan launching a contest to choose a London borough of culture, the first in 2019.

• This article was amended on 11 December 2017. An earlier version omitted to include Marcus Fairs as one of the judges for the city of culture contest.

