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Town seeks backing for culture bid

Lara KingGrimsby
News imageFrancesca Young A postcard with drawings and the name Grimsby in capital letters. The cartoon drawing is of old buildings which include a dock tower, a football ground and a black windmillFrancesca Young
A postcard by artist Francesca Young features in Grimsby's bid to be Town of Culture 2028

People in Grimsby are being asked to show Town of Culture 2028 judges what the town means to them.

Organisers behind the bid want people across Grimsby to share their stories and ideas as they prepare their submission for the title.

Grimsby has reached the final shortlist of four large towns, alongside Basildon, Birkenhead and Rotherham.

The final bid has to be submitted by 30 November, with the winner due to be announced in March 2027.

News imageEmma Gibbon Photography Eight women standing in front of a stone wall with a stone arch and wooden door. They are all smiling. From left to right, they are wearing a green shirt with black trousers, a white blouse and grey jacket with black trousers, a striped blue and white t shirt with a denim jacket and cream trousers, a brown jacket and black trousers, a green jumper and blue jeans, a white t shir with a blue flroal jacket and brown trousers, a dress with green leaves and pink on it, a white jumper with a green and white dress.Emma Gibbon Photography
The team behind the Grimsby bid to become Town of Culture 2028

The winner will receive £3m for a six-month cultural programme in 2028, while two runners-up will receive £250,000 each.

Now the GY28 campaign wants local people to demonstrate community support for the bid.

Its themes include Fiery Stuff, The Catch, Edge and Step Forward.

A community event in Grimsby town centre is planned for next month with performances, activities and entertainment. It will be a chance for people to find out more about the bid and meet the team behind it.

Melanie Onn, MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, said: "Reaching the shortlist from hundreds of entries across the UK is already something we can all be proud of."

Councillor Oliver Freeston, leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: "This is our chance to tell Grimsby's story on a national stage. The judges need to see that this bid belongs to the people of Grimsby."

To help with the final submission three new roles have been created to develop a cultural programme in the coming weeks.

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