The longlist for the 2029 UK City of Culture has been announced – and it’s fair to say there are a few surprises in there, alongside some much more obvious contenders.
From well-known cities to places you might not immediately associate with a cultural crown, there’s plenty to debate.
Judges will now whittle the nine contenders down before one is handed £10 million to spend on a year of cultural events, while three runners-up will receive £125,000 grants. But who deserves the big prize?
We’ve ranked all nine from least convincing to the one we think should be taking home the £10 million.
9.
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