Grimsby has already made history by reaching the shortlist for the first ever UK Town of Culture 2028. Now WE NEED YOU – the whole town – behind us to help bring the title home.
Residents of all ages, businesses, community groups and organisations are being invited to support GY28 as we launch the next stage of our campaign to make Grimsby the UK’s first ever Town of Culture.
We are developing our final submission, and we want local people to be at the very heart of it.
Grimsby is one of four towns shortlisted in the large towns category, alongside Basildon, Birkenhead, and Rotherham. The final bid must be submitted by 30 November 2026, with the winner announced in March 2027.
The winning town will receive £3-million to deliver a six-month programme of cultural events and activities in 2028. Two runner-up towns will each receive £250,000.
Over the next six weeks, our GY28 campaign will celebrate the pride, passion and community spirit that already exists across Grimsby. We want to hear from people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life because this bid should reflect the real Grimsby and the people who make it what it is.
Whether it’s the resilience that defines our town, the stories and industries connected to our fishing heritage, our position on the edge of the coast, or our ambitions for the future, every resident has a part to play in helping shape Grimsby’s final bid for Town of Culture 2028. Inspired by the themes of Fiery Stuff, The Catch, Edge and Step Forward, we want to hear what Grimsby means to you.
This campaign will tell Grimsby’s story through its past, present and future.
At the heart of the campaign is the new GY28 identity, developed following a community call-out and inspired by Grimsby’s creativity, character and ambition.
Melanie Onn, MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes and Chair of the Greater Grimsby Board sub-group overseeing the bid, said:
“Grimsby has always been defined by the talent, resilience and ambition of its people. Reaching the shortlist from hundreds of entries across the UK is already something we can all be proud of. Too often, others have tried to tell our story for us, but this is our chance to show the country who we really are.
“What makes Grimsby? What brings us together? What do we want the rest of the country to see in our town? How do we want future generations to feel about the place they call home? This is our opportunity to find and celebrate the talent, pride and potential that exists here, and to tell our story.
“Everyone has a part to play. I hope people will get involved, share their ideas and help us create a bid that is shaped by local people and authentically Grimsby.”
Community Event
As part of the campaign, everyone is invited to a special community event next month in the town centre, created by Checkmate Productions, so watch this space for further details.
This immersive event will be a chance to find out more about the bid, meet the team behind it and enjoy a day of performances, activities and entertainment.
Everyone who takes part will become part of our growing team of supporters, helping us demonstrate the strength of support behind the bid.
A town with ambition
A powerful part of Grimsby’s bid is “Ambition”, a poem commissioned by Horizon Youth Zone and written by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.
Ending with the words, “Step forward, the future starts at your feet,” the poem has become a symbol of the confidence, hope and ambition that can be found across our town.
Our bid presents Grimsby as “a town on the edge where the strongest stories begin”, inspired by generations of fishing families, dock workers and resilient communities who have shaped the town’s identity.
It also highlights how culture is already helping to drive positive change across North East Lincolnshire by creating opportunities, bringing people together and inspiring future generations.
To help develop the final submission, three new roles have been created: a Creative Lead, Community Lead Facilitator and Young People’s Lead Facilitator. Together, they will support community engagement and youth participation to develop a bold and ambitious cultural programme in the coming weeks.
David Ross, Chair of the Greater Grimsby Board said:
“Grimsby is where I come from, and my family’s story is bound up with the town’s. So, I’m proud to be championing our Town of Culture bid. There is no doubt that culture changes lives. It gives young people confidence, it brings communities together and it creates opportunity. Anyone who has spent time in Grimsby lately can see the town is on the move. GY28 is our chance to show the rest of the country what Grimsby can do, and we have to grasp it with both hands.”
Chris Carr, Vice-Chair of the Greater Grimsby Board, said:
“I know I speak on behalf of all my fellow board members in saying we are absolutely delighted that Grimsby has got this far in its Town of Culture bid. We are thrilled that what started as an initial discussion at one of our meetings has reached this stage. The way everyone has got behind GY28 is fantastic and just shows the strength of feeling for our town and the communities within it.”
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. Every photo, every video message, every conversation and every show of support matters.
“We have made it this far together. Now let’s make history together.”
Get involved
Whether you share a story, send a message of support, attend an event or simply spread the word, every bit of support helps. You can have your say by taking part in our online survey here: https://forms.gle/fQRMXCozAbQJJniY9
Visit our website GY28 | NELC to find out more, and become a GY28 ambassador and discover how you can get involved.
Instagram: @grimsby2028 https://www.instagram.com/grimsby2028/
Facebook: Grimsby2028 https://www.facebook.com/Grimsby28/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grimsby-2028/
If you’re a young person, a Grimsby resident, someone who works or studies here and you want to be involved, please email [email protected] with your details and we’ll be in touch.
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The stories behind the GY28 and Grimsby letters in the red:
G is drawn from the official seal of the Grimsby Charter, one of the town’s oldest surviving marks of civic identity.
R comes from an advertisement for the old Royal Hotel, which operated between 1863 and 1965 and hosted the Prince and Princess of Wales during royal duties in July 1879.
I is taken from the Grimsby Ice Factory, constructed between 1898 and 1901 to supply crushed ice for preserving fish stored in ships on Grimsby’s docks.
M is taken from The Mariner, Grimsby Town FC’s official matchday programme from the 1984-85 season. (a picture of that is also attached).
S is drawn from the 1977 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Mosaic, created by artist John Freear and once on display in Freshney Place shopping centre before it was lost during redevelopment.
B comes from heritage matchday pamphlets for Blundell Park, home of Grimsby Town FC.
Y is taken from the Yarborough Hotel, built in 1851 by Charles Anderson-Pelham, 2nd Earl of Yarborough, and the Royal Dock Company, now a historic listed building.
The logo letters:
G is drawn from the official seal of the Grimsby Charter, one of the town’s oldest surviving marks of civic identity.
Y is taken from the Yarborough Hotel, built in 1851 by Charles Anderson-Pelham, 2nd Earl of Yarborough, and the Royal Dock Company, now a historic listed building.
The 2 is taken from the public art pathway in St James’s square designed by artist Adrian Riley and the 8 is from an old GTFC ticket stub!
How the typeface came about
The GY28 typefaces were designed and developed by local design studio Big Mood Studio, the branding partner for GY28. They collaborated on the typeface with What If We Create, who curated a wealth of heritage print content through their ongoing two year People Print Grimsby project, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, to research, develop and tell the story of Grimsby’s letterpress printmaking past.
Many local creatives and historians were also consulted to gather the material that inspired the creation of two distinct alphabets, plus a full set of numerals from 0 to 9. The oldest letter in the typeface comes from Grimsby’s entry in the Domesday Book of 1086, and the newest from 2026, meaning this bespoke font spans 940 years of the town’s visual and typographic history. We’ll be sharing more about the story behind each letter over the coming weeks.
Together, let’s make Grimsby the UK’s first Town of Culture
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