City of Culture 2025: Wrexham’s Bid

Opened the debate

It is an honour to have been granted this Adjournment debate on Wrexham’s bid for city of culture 2025. We are thrilled to be in the final four, with Wales represented by Wrexham. The town has a diverse population and rich cultural heritage including football, brewing, military history, and mining traditions. Wrexham is brimming with talent in STEM fields and boasts numerous tourist attractions such as the Pontcysyllte aqueduct and FOCUS Wales music festival. The bid aims to highlight Wrexham's unique identity while strengthening the Union.

Government Response

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham for securing the debate, highlighting Wrexham's incredible heritage and cultural assets. The UK city of culture programme is a key part of levelling up opportunity across the UK, harnessing culture to attract investment, tourism, and drive economic growth. All four shortlisted places—Wrexham, Bradford, County Durham, and Southampton—are competing for the title in 2025 with substantial cultural assets and ambitious bids. The expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Phil Redmond will make a final recommendation based on criteria such as place making, levelling up, and UK and international co-operation. Wrexham's bid aims to celebrate cultural diversity, promote Welsh language and heritage, establish the town as the home of football in Wales, and regenerate infrastructure. DCMS has provided grants for each longlisted place to level the playing field and reduce burdens on bidders. The Minister commends Wrexham’s commitment and continues to work with all places regardless of success.