Margate is to be put forward for consideration as the first ever UK Town of Culture.
The government will select one town nationally to be named UK Town of Culture, receiving £3 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028.
The proposal follows the recent failure of Thanet to reach the long-list for UK City of Culture 2028.
An expedited bid for UK Town of Culture 2028 is now being developed by Thanet council on behalf of the community. An initial stakeholder meeting with representatives from Margate took place yesterday evening (Wednesday 25 March) to put forward the proposal.
Margate is proposed on the basis of having the necessary assets, infrastructure and organisations needed to deliver a strong cultural event programme in 2028 should it win the competition. There is also evidence for the cultural priorities of Margate and Thanet’s residents to help strengthen the submission.
Chief Executive of Thanet District Council, Colin Carmichael said: “The incredible support we witnessed as part of the recent Isle of Culture bid has demonstrated there is a clear passion and commitment to make this happen within our community.
“Although a district-wide bid was sadly not successful, we believe this is an opportunity we could not let pass and are now moving quickly to put Margate forward. We believe Margate possesses the cultural assets and infrastructure to deliver a fantastic programme in 2028.”
Work is underway to develop the submission. The deadline for expressions of interest is Tuesday 31 March 2026.
Did tdc decide on margate has nothing to do with tdc being based in margate ? Or just because it has the Turner shed
The Turner Gallery would be a good candidate for a prize as the ugliest building along the whole of the Southeast Coast. It may look better from the sea, but from land it seems modelled on “Cannery Row”.
There are probably plenty of cultures growing in the filthy toilets and on the never-cleaned streets.
Good to see that the government are proposing entry fees for all museums and galleries though, that should be a test of how popular The Turder really is.
That means I won’t be able to pop in there and use the toilet!
Their visitor numbers include those who use the loo, so will quickly go down.
Boy, they really are gluttons for punishment.
I would like to wish the team every success. Margate would be a wonderful UK Town of Culture!
Absolutely and I’m with you on positive thinking about Margate. I hope all the negative posters achieve something good although I very much doubt it.
Margate has become a good town for London artists .musicians. alike to visiting good trendy restaurants and new good hotels it deserves the vote unlike the fall of Ramsgate town such a shame
What new hotels are there?
And where do musicians buy their musical instruments?
The key-tar park—bring your own electricity.
So we didn’t get City of Culture… If we don’t get Town Of Culture maybe we then go for Road of Culture or maybe Tree Of Culture? Just something, anything Of Culture.
Well Northdown Road keeps getting voted among the coolest streets in the world by Time Out & last year the coolest in the UK-one does wonder if Emin has a friend there to publish this tripe year after year.
thats the best laugh i have had in ages , have the people that proposed this nonsense ever visited other parts of the uk ?, margate is a run down benefits fueled dump , it is never going to return to its haydays , certainly not on the back of people throwing some paint around !
Its heyday you complete moron.
Well said real world,clearly people with money bang on about how amazing it is,and culture ,Turner,after what that poor lady went throu in there couple days ago,with that vile man and disgusting idf paintings,and her being made to leave because she was a jew…culture my arse.
Interesting interpretation that bears no resemblance to the story printed here or reality. She is a right-wing rage baiting journalist, that lives in a highly populated Jewish area-who went there to publish a story to enrage people, purely to make money writing about it. She was not thrown out-no idea why you invented that, after causing a scene for maximum effect/profit (it would be like going to a Frankie Boyle show & complaining it was offensive) she left of her own accord.
You are right about the awful ‘art’ even though we have a different opinion as to why it is atrocious.
Plus the incident you’re referring to took place in the Joseph Wales Gallery, not the Turner.
Does someone look after you ?
How do you put forward ‘an expression of interest’ and how do you get actively involved in improving things?