Bradford has been named UK City of Culture for 2025
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The people of Bradford celebrated following their win
Bradford has been named the UK's City of Culture for 2025.
The decision was officially announced by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries on BBC's The One Show on Tuesday night.
Bradford will follow Coventry, the current holder of the title, and it is thought it could generate £700m and create 3,000 jobs for the city.
County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham had all been shortlisted alongside Bradford.
The city in West Yorkshire will hold the title for four years.
News of the win was officially announced on The One Show
Bradford's council leader Susan Hinchcliffe said the win would bring "so many opportunities" and the area had started "to come to life as never before".
"Being UK City of Culture brings with it so many opportunities for people not only in terms of creativity and culture, but also for employment, attracting inward investment, boosting the local economy and opening up opportunities for young people to enhance their skills," she said.
Artist and producer Shanaz Gulzar who led the bid described the win as a "huge opportunity".
"To celebrate our extraordinary cultural heritage and for our young, ethnically diverse population - who have been so involved in shaping our bid - to become leaders and changemakers and begin a new chapter in our story."
The artist said for too long the city had been overlooked and underestimated.
"It's now our time to shine."
• Bradford and the surrounding area have a population of about 540,000 people
• In the 19th Century it was known for being the home to major textile manufacturing, especially wool
• The city today has over 4,000 listed buildings
• It has one of the youngest populations in the UK, with a quarter of its residents aged under 16
• It is the birthplace of a number of famous faces including singer and former One Direction star Zayn Malik!
What's the UK City of Culture all about?
Bradford has a population of about 540,000 people
UK City of Culture is a competition run by the government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
A new city is chosen every four years and it's a big deal as it can help boost tourism, generate more funding for the winners and create more opportunities for local people.
Previous winners of the title include Derry, Hull and most recently, Coventry.
Bradford will be the UK's City of Culture from 2025 to 2029
Eight other cities were initially shortlisted for the 2025 title. These were Stirling, County Durham, Wrexham Cornwall, Southampton, Derby and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon.
Bradford will receive £270,000 in initial funding to assist it in developing its plans and will also be eligible for a £3 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
However, there's also some good news for the some of the other cities which took part in the competition.
For the first time, the three runners up will receive £125,000 to enable them to move forward with some of the things they included in their bids.
Are you from Bradford? What do you love about the city? Tell us in the comments below...
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