The bidding process for UK City of Culture 2025 was the process to award the designation UK City of Culture to a city or area in the United Kingdom, in which the winner hosts cultural festivities through culture-led regeneration throughout 2025. The title is awarded by the UK Government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The 2025 City of Culture is the fourth city to hold the title since the programme began in 2013, following those of Derry~Londonderry[a], Hull, and Coventry. The competition for the 2025 holder was launched on 29 May 2021, with the deadline to submit bids being 19 July 2021. On 18 March 2022, Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough were the last four shortlisted bids in the competition.[1][2][3] On 31 May 2022, Bradford was announced as the winning bid, with the three runners-up receiving £125,000, the first time the runners-up receive a prize.[4]
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