Folkestone & Hythe District Council is bringing together organisations to work on putting forward Folkestone for this prestigious title.
The competition will select one town nationally to be named UK Town of Culture, receiving £3 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028.
Two finalists will receive £250,000 to deliver elements of their bid.
Launched by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, the competition is explained as an opportunity for places and communities to use culture and creativity to tell their story and why they are proud of their community.
How you can help?
To support a Folkestone bid, the council wants to make sure the full breadth of cultural activity in the town is reflected.
We already know there is a rich mix of cultural assets, organisations and festivals but we also recognise that there is more happening that we do not know about in the area outlined in the map below.
We’re calling on community groups, cultural organisations, event organisers, local creatives and anyone involved in food, music, nature, landscape, sport and leisure alongside arts, heritage, people and social culture to share details of what you do
Help us to reflect the rich diversity and ambition of the town by providing information about activities you lead or in which you are involved in the area indicated on the map.
Please fill in this form and submit your information. It should only take a few minutes to complete the form and note that any information you provide is retained according to our privacy policy.
At a later stage we hope to extend this invitation to share information to the whole of the district.
Should you wish to contact us regarding UK Town of Culture please email: uktoc2028@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk.
Timeline
Tuesday 31 March 2026
Deadline for submission of expressions of interest (EOI) in becoming the UK Town of Culture
Tuesday 24 February 2026
Residents, businesses and organisations are invited to workshops at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone.
The free workshops on Tuesday 24 March are at 2pm, 4pm and 6pm and each is 90 minutes. They can be booked via Eventbrite. The aim is for the sharing of ideas to help create an expression of interest (EOI) that has to be submitted to government by 31 March 2026.
Shortlisted towns will be announced in Spring 2026. These will be awarded a grant of £60,000 to support them in developing a full application.