23/03/2026
Back the Bid ~ Blackburn is set to bid to be the UK Town of Culture 2028! 🥳
Creative and community organisations from right across Blackburn are coming together to develop a bid to be crowned UK Town of Culture in 2028.
Organisations leading the town’s cultural renaissance, including:
🎨 National Festival of Making
🛶 Super Slow Way
🪡 British Textile Biennial
🖼️ Blackburn Museum
The Bureau Centre for the Arts!!
and of course Blackburn Festival of Light
… are supporting the Expression of Interest stage alongside a wide range of local partners, and we’re proudly supporting too!
We all want to hear from as many people as possible to help shape the story, bring ideas to life and drive this ambitious bid forward.
Whether you represent heritage, culture, education or a community organisation, your voice can help celebrate Blackburn’s creativity, heritage and community in 2028.
Here’s how you can get involved:
Share your ideas through the Blackburn Town of Culture Online Portal
https://festivalofmaking.co.uk/news/blackburn-townofculture/ for more info and the online portal
Or come and chat with us in person at Blackburn Library:
📆 Tuesday 24 March 2026
⏰ 1–3 pm
The winner of UK Town of Culture 2028 will receive £3 million, while the two runners-up will each receive £250,000 to deliver cultural programmes in their towns.
Help us tell Blackburn’s story of culture and creativity on the national stage!
