Banbury Town of Culture bid unsuccessful
14/07/2026
No Oxfordshire towns were selected
Banbury’s bid to be named a Town of Culture hasn’t been successful.
The government has named the fifteen towns which have been shortlisted from nearly 400 places across the country which entered the competition. Banbury’s entry was noted, but isn’t being taken forward.
Cherwell District Council worked on the project with Banbury Town Council and representatives from organisations such as Banbury Museum, the Mill Arts Centre and Tooley’s Boatyard.
The winning town in the competition will be awarded £3 million to help them deliver a cultural programme during the summer of 2028. Shortlisted locations will now receive £60,000 to help then deliver their full bids.
Councillor Lisa Smith, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, said: “We were disappointed that the great work and ambition of the partnership was not taken forward by DCMS and the Town of Culture programme. The competition was very strong, with the Banbury application being one of more than 400 applications submitted, and no Oxfordshire towns were shortlisted.
“However, the partnership behind Made in Banbury has grown and become really strong as part of the process. The relationships, shared vision and collaborative approach developed through the bid have created a great base for future cultural initiatives across the district.
“The partnership will continue to work together to promote and enhance the cultural opportunities available locally, with Cherwell District Council remaining an active and committed member. We look forward to seeing how the selected towns respond to the challenge and to using the learning from this process to help shape our future plans and possible future bids.”
Banbury entered the competition in the medium sized category where the shortlisted towns were Corby, Great Yarmouth, Leith, Pontypridd, and Port Talbot.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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