Powys has put in a bid to be at the centre of the UK’s cultural spotlight, as the UK City of Culture 2025.

A record 20 places from across the UK, including Powys, and Bangor and northwest Wales have submitted an expression of interest to become the UK City of Culture 2025.

The competition, delivered by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in collaboration with the devolved administrations, uses culture as a catalyst for levelling up areas outside London and putting new parts of the UK on the cultural map internationally.

Entrants have been tasked with proving that they can put culture at the heart of their plans to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Regions and groups of towns have been encouraged to apply in this competition, with a number stepping forward from across the UK.

The winner will be announced in May 2022.

To ensure as many places as possible across the country can take up this opportunity, we are awarding grants of £40,000 to successful longlisted places for the first time to support their long applications.

The winner, which will be announced next year, will take on the baton from Coventry as the 2021 UK City of Culture and be at the centre of the UK’s cultural spotlight in 2025.

The benefits to the winner of the title are huge, attracting millions of visitors and investment and bringing communities together to showcase the place where they live to the country and the world.

Throughout the history of this competition the winning cities have always benefited from financial support to ensure the programme’s success and lasting legacy. Coventry has received over £15.5 million from the government to directly support its year as UK City of Culture.

Montgomeryshire MP Craig Williams welcomed the news, saying: “It is fantastic news that Powys has entered the process for becoming UK City of Culture in 2025.

"We have seen the huge positive impact for not just the winning city, but for the longlisted locations as well. The previous winners have seen massive benefits, with huge numbers of events and visitors highlighting the area and showcasing what Powys has to offer to the rest of the UK is a great proposal."

He added: “I also welcome news that UK Government are awarding grants of £40,000 to successful longlisted places, I look forward to supporting Powys’ bid and look forward to using this opportunity to put our area on the map and highlight what we all know, our area is already worthy of the title, capital of culture within the UK."

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden wished “all bidders the very best of luck”.

“This record number of applications from all four corners of the country is testament to the huge success of City of Culture in generating investment, creating jobs and boosting local pride,” he said.

Sir Phil Redmond, chair of the City of Culture Expert Advisory Panel said: “From Derry-Londonderry to Hull and Coventry it has been a difficult and rewarding challenge to select the next UK City of Culture, and the list of potential candidates for 2025 indicates that life in the immediate future is going to be even more challenging!

“The three previous title holders have demonstrated the transformative and catalytic effect culture can bring about, even within places that have been ultimately unsuccessful but have gone on to develop collaborative and sustainable partnerships.

“The list for 2025 also demonstrates the breadth of ambition, aspiration and innovation that exists from coast to coast and nation to nation across the UK and I am looking forward to that challenge of immersing myself once again in the UK’s rich seam of creativity.”

Powys will face stiff competition from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon; The City of Bangor and Northwest Wales; The Borderlands region, comprising Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders; Northumberland, Cumbria and Carlisle City; Bradford; Conwy County; Cornwall; Derby; County; Durham; Lancashire; Medway; City of Newport; Southampton; Stirling; The Tay Cities region; Torbay and Exeter; Wakefield District; City of Wolverhampton; Wrexham County Borough; and Great Yarmouth and East Suffolk.