Why it matters: The show of support is just the latest example of growing momentum behind Ipswich's campaign ahead of the 8 February submission deadline, with leaders positioning the bid as a county-wide opportunity rather than just a town initiative.
The details: Babergh councillors unanimously agreed on Wednesday, 21 January, to give support to Ipswich becoming the City of Culture in 2029.
City of Culture is a competition run by the Government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport every four years, with a £10 million prize.
If Ipswich won, the money would be used to attract visitors through large-scale events and culture initiatives.
Past UK City of Culture winners have seen over £1 billion of additional investment added to local economies, alongside increased jobs, tourism and local pride.
What they're saying: Councillor John Ward, Babergh's leader, said winning the prize would not only benefit Ipswich but the county as a whole.
"It will be a celebration about our county town and a statement about its future, one that deserves the support of the whole county," he said.
The big picture: His motion followed the launch of a campaign earlier this month, urging residents, businesses and organisations to show their support ahead of a formal submission by 8 February.
DanceEast will be putting together the formal expression of interest, with the Government then deciding which eight places make it to the next stage.
Councillor Deborah Saw, Babergh's lead for people and places, said the impact would be multi-faceted.
She said: "The programme promotes social cohesion and instils pride in places, making them more attractive to live, work and visit."
For context: The town must first reach a shortlist of eight from what could be dozens of applications across the UK. So far, Bristol, Plymouth, Wrexham and Portsmouth have announced their bids, but others are expected to follow suit.
Each longlisted bid will receive £60,000 to help develop its full application. The shortlist will be announced in summer 2026, with the winner announced in winter 2026.
Why Ipswich is pursuing City of Culture, not Town of Culture: There are several reasons why Ipswich is pursuing 2029 City of Culture over 2028 Town of Culture:
Firstly, it believes it can win. Despite the usual barrage of negativity surrounding its bid, Ipswich punches way above its weight as a town and has the credentials to challenge for City of Culture.
Secondly, the City of Culture competition offers a significantly larger £10 million prize compared to the £3 million Town of Culture award. The impact of a £3m prize will be quickly diluted in a town the size of ours.
City of Culture is also expected to have a much smaller number of entrants, thus – in theory – increasing the town's chances of progressing through the competition and, ultimately, winning.
Finally, Ipswich is a big town. Despite being cities, several of the other known entrants for City of Culture are a similar size or considerably smaller than Ipswich. For example, Ipswich's population is significantly higher than Wrexham's, which has a built-up area population of just 44,785, rising to 135,117 when you include the wider county borough, which also includes surrounding villages and rural areas.
The bottom line: Babergh's unanimous backing reinforces the message that Ipswich's City of Culture bid is about more than just the county town, with leaders emphasising the potential for county-wide economic and cultural benefits.
The bid to become 2029's City of Culture is expected to be fiercely competitive. Public support is vital, so if you back the bid – and you should – then please make sure you register your support using the link below.
