Grimsby rallies behind bid to become UK Town of Culture 2028

Picture caption: Staff at Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre back the bid to become UK Town of Culture 2028.

Thank you to everyone who has already backed Grimsby’s bid to become UK Town of Culture 2028.

We have been inundated with interest from creatives, local businesses, organisations, community groups, and residents all wishing to shout about how Great Grimsby is.

If you want to know more about it then please visit one of our forthcoming events:

• Grimsby UK Town of Culture 2028 Workshop – Wednesday 11 March, 2pm – 4pm, Weston Hall, YMCA Humber – UK Town of Culture | NELC
•  Love Grimsby on 21 March – Discover North East Lincolnshire | Love Grimsby 2026 – Discover North East Lincolnshire. 

Backed by North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC), Horizon Onside Youth Zone, local businesses, political leaders and the creative and heritage sector, Grimsby has thrown its hat into the ring  to showcase its creative ambition, reflecting on our heritage and aim to unleash the creative potential of Grimsby’s children and young people and their families.

The expression of interest builds on major investment in culture in North East Lincolnshire in recent years, most recently seeing the opening of the spectacular new Horizon Youth Zone in the town centre, who will be working alongside NELC in developing the bid.

Spearheaded by Create North East Lincolnshire, since 2023, over £9.45m of investment in North East Lincolnshire has been secured by local organisations collaborating in over 100 funding bids to organisations such as Arts Council England, The National Lottery Community Fund and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

We are asking everyone to help shape the expression of interest and ‘back the bid’ by using #GY28 in social media posts, or completing a very short survey Grimsby Town of Culture 2028 | QuestionPro Survey  To find out more head to UK Town of Culture | NELC

Grimsby must submit its initial Expression of Interest by 31 March, with shortlisted towns announced in Spring 2026. Final bids are due Autumn 2026, and the winner will be announced in early 2027, receiving £3m to deliver a year-long cultural programme in 2028. Two runners-up will each receive £250,000.

The competition follows the success of the UK City of Culture programme, which was hosted in 2017 by Hull, generating more than £300-million of investment and boosting tourism by nearly 10%.

Cllr Hayden Dawkins, NELC Portfolio Holder for Culture, said: “This bid is about putting Grimsby’s creativity, energy and ambition on the national stage. We know the talent is already here in our young people, our cultural organisations, our makers, and our communities.

“UK Town of Culture 2028 would give us the platform to celebrate that talent, attract new opportunities, and inspire even more people to get involved. I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come, and this bid shows just how far we’re ready to go.”

Note to editors:

The Create North East Lincolnshire programme has championed the local creative and heritage sector enabling local organisations to thrive and grow through a range of support, grants and commissions.

Exciting developments in recent months include:

• Our Big Picture reopened their refurbished their accessible arts and culture hub
• The Culture House’s Our Future Starts Here presenting Luke Jerram’s Helios in Grimsby Minster in April.
• Brick History exhibition and Brick Futures project at the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre
• Restoration work led by Linkage continues at Weelsby Hall.

For full details of projects supported see Home – Create North East Lincolnshire  

Grimsby is also home to many creatives, including actor Thomas Turgoose, musician Ella Henderson and comedian Lloyd Griffith.