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West towns set to compete for 'culture' crown
Western Daily Press
|April 10, 2026
BRISTOL may have not even made the shortlist to be the next UK City of Culture but a number of towns in the West of England have thrown their hat into the ring to be the official Town of Culture too.
has thrown its hat in the ring for the title
(Jon Kent)
The Somerset towns of Watchet, Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon have all announced they have entered the national competition, which will see a ‘Town of Culture’ created for the first time in 2028.
And Filton has also entered, and has already been backed for the title by local MP Claire Hazelgrove.
The Labour MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke has written to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to support Filton’s bid, which it said would “particularly strong and distinctive”.
Unlike other towns around the country with a strong music, arts or literary scenes, Filton is leaning into its strengths as a place known for the aerospace industry, and for being a town with a university.
This story is from the April 10, 2026 edition of Western Daily Press.
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