SUDBURY HAS THROWN OUR HAT IN THE RING FOR THE UK'S FIRST UK TOWN OF CULTURE

Earlier in the year, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) announced it was opening bids for the UK's very first UK Town of Culture 2028.

For the first time, DCMS invited towns across the UK to enter the competition to showcase original storytelling, and empowering, accessible culture. The competition is targeted at all towns, whether small, medium or large.

Inspired by the success of the flagship UK City of Culture, which is a proven model for cultural placemaking, this competition aims to spotlight the cultural contribution of towns to our national story. There will be small, medium and large-size category winners and from these three designations, an overall UK Town of Culture winner will be selected. The winning town will be awarded £3 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028 of around six months. Additionally, the two finalists from their category will receive £250,000 each to deliver elements of their bid.

Beyond the obvious, Sudbury's incredible cultural heritage extends way beyond being the birthplace of Thomas Gainsborough, the UK Capital of Silk or the inspiration for Dodie Smith's 101 Dalmatians. Culture is so much more, its about Sudbury's unique heartbeat - our 1000 year old charter market, our independent business community, our beautiful green spaces all central to Sudbury life today.

Venues at the heart of our community like Sudbury Arts Centre, Quay Theatre, Mill Tye Gallery, Sudbury Library and of course Gainsborough's House all keep Sudbury's arts and community offerings at the forefront.

But what about our beautifully biodiverse watermeadows, 242 listed buildings, award winning silk mills, brick makers or breweries, our food and drink offering, one of the last dedicated Tourist Information Centres in the region, our events programme, our community spirit! All of this makes Sudbury what it is today, and its our pride in our town that sets us apart.

So with the support of our local cultural venues, Sudbury Town Council has thrown our hat in the ring for the very first UK Town of Culture. No matter the outcome, we'd love to hear from you to let us know your thoughts on what the town has to offer, and how we can work together to make it better.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Please take 10 minutes to complete our Sudbury Residents and Visitors Survey 2026 - whether you live, work or occassionally visit Sudbury (or you've only visited once!) please take the time to help us shape our town for the future.

Sudbury Residents & Visitors Survey 2026

Oh and fingers crossed for us!