Southampton submits bid for UK City of Culture 2025

Southampton is competing to become UK City of Culture 2025

Southampton has submitted its bid to be UK City of Culture 2025.

The city is up against seven other longlisted locations in the competition to be at the centre of the UK's cultural spotlight in 2025.

The honour is awarded by the government to a city in the UK every four years.

Bid officials say the designation would bring cash into the city and help regenerate deprived areas, as well as offer a huge platform for the city.

Throughout the year, pubs, corner shops and people's own homes will become theatres, art galleries and music venues for homegrown talent.

Shelina Permalloo, chair of Southampton UK City of Culture 2025 bid and BBC MasterChef-winning cook, said the designation would help inject money into the city and regenerate deprived areas, alongside showcasing the city's culture.

Bid chair Shelina Permalloo said a successful bid would inject money into the city

Speaking to the BBC, she said: "We're going to bring a show every single day essentially.

"365 days of 2025, we'll be able to have local people, national people and global come to our city and stay here, and enjoy what we have on offer."

She said it was time for the honour to come down south to Southampton.

Previously cities to be awarded the honour have been Derry/Londonderry in 2013, Hull in 2017 and Coventry in 2021.

The opening ceremony would be in Weston Shore, one of the most deprived areas in the city, in May 2025, if Southampton wins the bid.

It would include a flotilla of vessels and a giant circus show.

Ms Permalloo added the cost of the bid would be outweighed greatly by the benefits of winning.

"It will impact every single person, the restaurant owner, the taxi driver, the local pubs that have been struggling in Covid."

Singer Craig David, who is from Southampton, said it was an exciting opportunity to give the city a platform

Other locations longlisted are Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Bradford, Cornwall, County Durham, Derby, Stirling and Wrexham County Borough.

A shortlist is expected to be announced early this year, and the winner announced in spring by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.