The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said the four contenders will receive at least £125,000 to take forward their bid for the chance to win the title and prize fund of £10 million.
As part of their bids, places were asked to explain how they would use culture as a catalyst to transform their place and the lives of communities through boosting growth, opportunities and pride.
Brookside creator Phil Redmond. (Peter Byrne/PA)
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The title is awarded every four years and is currently held by Bradford.
The four locations were recommended by the UK City of Culture expert advisory panel, chaired by Brookside and Hollyoaks creator Sir Phil Redmond.
Sir Phil said: “Once again there is a hard choice ahead.
“The four places on the shortlist continue to demonstrate both the variety and strength of creative ambition across the UK.
“Each place represents a different view, or aspect, epitomising what culture is, the sum of all we do together, and while each approaches it differently, they all share the common aim of reminding the rest of the UK of who they are, where they are and why they are worth visiting.
“I look forward to doing that myself, along with the rest of the Advisory Panel in the near future.”
The competition is part of the Government’s drive to boost pride in every part of the country and encourage economic growth.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy arrives for a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)
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The shortlist was whittled down from nine longlist applications which also included Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth and Swindon.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “Every place has a story worth telling of its own unique history, identity and contribution.
“Great culture is everywhere, but the opportunity to showcase it, to put it on display and to show how it is woven into our national story is not.
“That is the beauty of the UK City of Culture competition, it is an undiluted celebration of what makes our largest towns and cities so brilliant.”
According to the DCMS, the cultural spotlight helped attract millions of pounds in additional investment and boosted regeneration among previous winning cities including, Derry-Londonderry, Hull and Coventry.
Last year, Bradford led a cultural programme of over 6,500 events, over 80% of which were free, that resulted in capital investment for more than 30 local cultural organisations.
Volunteers at City Park in Bradford join together to celebrate the launch of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture (Owen Humphreys/PA)
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The DCMS said it also led to increased opportunities for local people to get involved with events, with over 88,000 residents taking part in key projects throughout the year.
Ms Nandy continued: “Congratulations to Blackpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Wrexham on making the shortlist.
“They are proud of their incredible culture, and they are right to be.”
The UK City of Culture 2029 winner will be announced in early 2027.