'The people of Portsmouth make it a fantastic place to live - and we deserve the honour of UK City of Culture'
Portsmouth’s UK City of Culture bid has to engage all people of all ages. As part of The News’ Back the Bid campaign we hear from 23-year-old Angel Jones on what winning would mean to her.
I think It would be fantastic for Portsmouth to become the UK City of Culture in 2029. We will get to showcase to the rest of the country how amazing Portsmouth really is. It would be a chance for the Pompey community to get together and celebrate what makes Portsmouth great. From our history, to our football team and the Royal Navy. There is so much to be proud of!
There would be multiple events happening over the course of the year around the city, which would give opportunities to local artists, schools and organisations to get involved. I would love to see more events happening across the city. In the long run this will attract more tourists to the city, help boost the local economy and support local businesses.
If successful, I would like to see some of the money being spent on improving Commercial Road, as it has lost its spark over recent years. With so many shops closing down, I would like to see these spaces being given to local businesses. I would also like to see more youth groups and opportunities for young people as I believe there are not enough things for young people to get involved in. The money should also be spent on improving green spaces, so that wildlife can thrive.
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I have seen the positive benefits that UK City Of Culture brought to Bradford in 2025 - such as boosting pride, creating more jobs and reframing the city's narrative through culture. I would love to see the same for Portsmouth.
It's the people of Portsmouth who make this city a fantastic place to live. There are so many amazing people who want to make a difference. We all look out and support one another. We are a diverse, welcoming, working class city.
I am proud to be from Pompey and it would mean a lot to me for Portsmouth to be UK City Of Culture in 2029.
There is so much to look forward to already in this city. This year is a big year with Portsmouth celebrating 100 years of city status. If successful with our bid, we will become the first city in the south to win the honour of being city of culture and I don't think there is any other city that deserves it more than Portsmouth.
A bit about me.
My name is Angel Jones, I am 23 and I'm born and bred in Portsmouth. I am an up-and-coming singer and songwriter who graduated from university in July 2025. In my spare time I enjoy taking photos of wildlife and supporting Pompey home and away.
Back the Bid!
The News is officially backing Portsmouth's bid for UK City of Culture 2029 seeing it as a chance to ignite civic pride, strengthen community connection, generate economic growth and raise the city's profile.
Community consultation has been happening across the city ahead of the submission of an initial expression of interest on February 8. City’s chosen for the longlist will receive £60,000 to submit a full bid in the summer. The winning city will be chosen at the end of the year and be given £10m to deliver its cultural celebration in 2029.
The success of past winners like Bradford 2025 shows the benefits: millions of attendees to events, huge media coverage, thousands of volunteers and artists involved, significant investment in local groups and a boost to pride in the city.