Peterborough has today confirmed that it is entering the race to become UK City of Culture 2029, with an Expression of Interest (EOI) being submitted to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The bid is being led by Peterborough City Council, working alongside community leaders from across the city, and supported by partners including the Peterborough Tourist Board, Inspire Education Group, Peterborough Positive and the Peterborough Cultural Alliance. Together, this partnership brings civic leadership, grassroots voices, culture, education, skills and communities into a single, collaborative ambition for the city.
The Expression of Interest is backed by Councillor Shabina Qayyum, Leader of Peterborough City Council, and by Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes, demonstrating strong civic and political support for the city’s cultural future.
Submitting an Expression of Interest will not cost local taxpayers anything. The work is being delivered using existing capacity, partnership working and in-kind support. Any future stages would be subject to separate decisions, and only the winning city receives UK Government funding. If Peterborough was successful, the City of Culture programme would be delivered through significant national investment and other external funding, rather than local council budgets.
UK City of Culture is one of the most competitive culture-led programmes in the country, and the city is realistic about the challenge. Entering the 2029 race is not framed as a single moment or a guaranteed outcome, but as part of a longer-term journey to strengthen Peterborough’s identity, confidence and national profile.
That journey is already underway. Over the past 18 months, the city has seen renewed momentum through Pride in Place funding, major civic investment including in a new swimming pool and leisure centre, and the launch of Discover Peterborough, which is changing how the city presents itself to residents and visitors alike. The UK City of Culture process builds on this progress, helping to connect culture more deeply with regeneration, skills, wellbeing and opportunity.
A defining feature of Peterborough’s approach is its clear focus on neighbourhoods and city-wide participation, rather than centralised investment alone. This is not about a single area or a handful of flagship projects. The City of Culture ambition for Peterborough is about neighbourhoods, participation and pride, reaching into communities that have too often felt left out of cultural investment. Culture will be created and experienced in everyday places as well as civic venues, ensuring benefits are felt across the whole city, not just the centre.
Peterborough’s Expression of Interest sets out an ambition for a community-made, civic-led bid that reflects a city shaped by movement, making and belonging, where culture is not owned by a few institutions, but created by many people, in many places.
Leader of Peterborough City Council, Councillor Shabina Qayyum, said: “To be ambitious and successful, you have to put ambition into action. When I was first elected as Leader, I was determined to put Peterborough properly on the map and to stop our city being overlooked.
"We are a city with extraordinary heritage and depth. From our 900-year-old Cathedral and its place in national history, to our rich archaeology, diverse communities and the landscapes that surround us, Peterborough has a story that deserves to be better known.
"Putting forward an Expression of Interest for UK City of Culture 2029 is about turning that belief into action. It is about refusing to let our qualities go unnoticed, backing our communities and creativity, and setting Peterborough on a path to be recognised for its true potential.”
Andrew Pakes MP said: “Peterborough is a city with a remarkable story, shaped by history, migration, industry and creativity, yet too often underestimated beyond our borders.
"Entering the UK City of Culture 2029 process is about having the confidence to tell that story properly and to give our communities a national platform. This is not just about a title, but about backing culture as a driver of pride, opportunity and long-term renewal across the whole city.
"Whatever the outcome, this process helps bring people together around a shared ambition for Peterborough, and that in itself is something worth supporting.”
Sam Carling MP said: "Culture matters because it shapes how people feel about where they live and the opportunities they see for themselves. Peterborough has huge talent, creativity and diversity across its neighbourhoods, and that deserves to be recognised and supported.
"Putting forward an Expression of Interest for UK City of Culture 2029 is about ensuring culture is not something that happens to communities, but something created with them. It is a chance to support skills, confidence and participation, especially for young people and those who have too often been overlooked.
"This is an ambitious but grounded step for Peterborough, and one that puts people and place firmly at the heart of our future."
Pep Cipriano, Peterborough Positive, said: “This is about confidence in Peterborough as a place to invest, visit and grow. Culture plays a vital role in creating vibrant city centres, supporting local businesses and attracting talent.
"Entering the UK City of Culture 2029 process sends a strong signal that Peterborough is ambitious, open and moving forward together. It builds momentum, strengthens collaboration and helps create the conditions for long-term economic and cultural growth.”
Bernadetta Omondi, Inclusion & Diversity East Anglia, said: “This is why we fully support the bid for Peterborough to become a City of Culture. Peterborough is a city where cultural diversity leads to social harmony and equality.”
Rajni Reddy, Peterborough Diwali Festival Committee, said: "The Peterborough Diwali Festival Committee fully supports the City of Culture bid for Peterborough. Peterborough is renowned as a welcome sanctuary and for being a beautiful patchwork quilt of many diverse people. We are indeed pleased to be a party of this launch.”
Abdul M Choudhuri JP, Chairman of the Joint Mosques Council, said: “Peterborough is a unique city where people of different faiths and cultures live together in harmony. The mosques and faith communities have long worked alongside the council to support cohesion and understanding, and this is why Peterborough deserves to be recognised as a City of Culture.”
Submitting an Expression of Interest does not commit the city to future expenditure, nor does it mark an end point. Whatever the outcome, the work will continue, strengthening partnerships, celebrating the city’s diversity and creativity, and building towards a confident cultural future for Peterborough.
For further information about Peterborough’s UK City of Culture 2029 Expression of Interest, visit: www.discoverpeterborough.co.uk/peterborough2029