Dorries to announce UK City of Culture live on The One Show

The winner of the UK City of Culture 2025 will be announced by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries live on BBC’s The One Show.

Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough are all in the running to be crowned the winner on Tuesday.

The shortlist was compiled from a record group of 20 that had initially registered bids to take over the title, currently held by Coventry.

The winner of the title, awarded every four years, will be announced by Ms Dorries on The One Show live from Coventry.

She said: “The UK City of Culture competition is a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the contribution that art and culture make to all our lives.

“This title has been hotly contested and I’ve been hugely impressed by the quality of all four shortlisted bids from Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough.

“Winning the competition can boost investment, attract tens of thousands of visitors and bring the local community together for an unforgettable year.

“I wish the best of luck to everyone involved.”

The advisory panel, chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, visited the four shortlisted places before making their final recommendation in May, which was later approved by Ms Dorries.

For the first time this year, the eight longlisted winners received a £40,000 grant to strengthen their applications. They included Cornwall, Derby, Stirling and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon.

Since winning the title, Coventry has seen more than £172 million invested in funding music concerts and the UK’s first permanent immersive digital art gallery, as well as a further £500 million for the city’s regeneration, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said.