Buxton UK Town of Culture 2028 Bid
Buxton has submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to be named the inaugural UK Town of Culture 2028.
Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust is the designated lead organisation for the bid but it has only got to this stage thanks to the energy and input of the We Are Buxton forum members, with support from the town's Cultural Collective whose core membership includes Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust, Buxton Opera House, Buxton International Festival, Buxton Festival Fringe, Buxton Civic Association, Babbling Vagabonds, and Stone & Water. This core group works with over 80 individual artists and groups in Buxton and the surrounding areas, operating in the cultural sector and creative industries.
The Collective is one of 12 Members of the We Are Buxton Community Forum which provides a voice for, and co-ordinates action on behalf of, the wider Buxton community, including liaison with High Peak Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council.
The bid presents a town where world-renowned Spa heritage and famous thermal waters, coupled with the appeal of Buxton's International Festival and Opera House, meet the creative talents of a population inspired by the dramatic natural backdrop of the Peak District, and an industrial heritage that still sustains us.
Bringing together artists and heritage experts, the bid team has delivered a vision that celebrates Buxton's people, its history and natural and built assets, with the vision of opening up cultural opportunities and spaces to every resident, from the town centre to our outlying neighbourhoods.
If Buxton is successful, High Peak Borough Council will have a significant role to play in the delivery of Town of Culture, as it will manage the funding allocated.
There are 400 bids that have been submitted, including Buxton. You can see digital postcards for each on this DCMS interactive map at Town of Culture 2028 | Applicants - Google My Maps
DCMS has confirmed that the shortlist for UK Town of Culture 2028 will be announced at the end of July 2026. Shortlisted towns will then be invited to develop full proposals for the next stage of the competition. The overall winner will receive £3million to deliver a landmark cultural programme in 2028, with £250,000 awarded to two finalists.
