Above: 2025 IF Festival in Milton Keynes, credit Espey Photography
Milton Keynes has been officially longlisted to become the UK City of Culture 2029, securing £60,000 from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to develop its full application.
Being longlisted is a significant moment for Milton Keynes and begins the next phase of the competition, with the city now having around four months to shape a detailed plan for a City of Culture year.
Local people and organisations will be asked to help shape the full application, which will set out Milton Keynes’ programme, partnerships, budget and what being the City of Culture would achieve.
An independent panel will assess the applications from all bidding cities and recommend up to four places for a shortlist. Shortlisted cities will host panel visits and present their plans, and the winner is expected to be announced before the end of 2026.
Milton Keynes City Council is leading the bid in partnership with organisations across the city including The Open University, Stadium MK and Milton Keynes Islamic Arts and Culture.
Residents, communities and strategic partners such as Universal will be invited to help shape the developing plans. If Milton Keynes ultimately secures the 2029 title, its City of Culture year would coincide with the opening of a new £76 million, 4,000 capacity venue in the city centre, an investment from Milton Keynes Development Partnership that will strengthen the city’s cultural infrastructure.
Milton Keynes enters the longlist stage with strong credentials. The city’s pioneering design, modernist identity and inclusive approach to planning have shaped its growth from the beginning. Today it has one of the most resilient economies in the UK and a quality of life that attracts people from across the region. Cultural destinations such as Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes Theatre, MK Gallery and the IF: Milton Keynes International Festival draw visitors from near and far. Around eight million people live within 90 minutes of the city, giving Milton Keynes a significant cultural reach.
The bid will celebrate the city’s design story while promoting opportunity and inclusion. Early proposals include creative apprenticeships, support for emerging talent and Culture Kids MK, which would offer every baby born in 2029 five years of free cultural access. The city will also explore how its mix of design, technology and innovation can inspire new forms of creativity and participation.
"Being longlisted is an important moment for Milton Keynes, and we’re excited to put our case forward for why we should be made City of Culture. Despite the preconceived notions of some, Milton Keynes is a city full of rich, diverse and vibrant culture. This is an opportunity for us to come together as a city and make our case, and share in the transformative results if we’re successful."