Why it matters: Abbott says the competition represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to attract visitors, investment and jobs whilst supporting local artists, venues and organisations.
The details: The UK City of Culture 2029 competition went live on Thursday, 30 October, with expressions of interest now open to cities, large towns, regions and groupings of places across the UK.
Mr Abbott has already been leading preparations for a potential bid, building on the town's vibrant arts scene and grassroots cultural organisations.
Over the summer, he brought together some of Ipswich's leading creatives at St Stephen's Church to explore what a City of Culture bid could mean for the town, from theatre-makers and musicians to festival organisers and designers.
Further meetings are planned in the coming weeks to help shape the bid, discuss updates on the national process, and develop a shared proposal that captures the town's energy, identity and ambition.
By the numbers: For the first time, there will be a confirmed cash prize of £10 million for the UK City of Culture winner to help deliver a year-long programme of cultural events and activities.
All longlisted places will receive £60,000 each to help develop their full bids, whilst the three most impressive bids from places that reach the shortlist but are not selected as the winner will receive £125,000 each.
What they're saying: Announcing the town's bid, Jack Abbott said: "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to show the country what Ipswich is made of. A City of Culture bid will attract more visitors, investment and new jobs, while supporting and celebrating the local artists, venues and organisations that make our town special. It's about boosting opportunities, ambition, and pride too.
"Our town has so much talent. This competition gives us the chance to show that to the whole country, and I'm determined to make sure our story is heard.
"I am proud of Ipswich, and that is why I am firing the starting gun on our City of Culture bid. Join me and help build a new future for our town!"
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "For far too long, too many people have felt left out of our national story. These competitions are our chance to change that by shining a light on the places that have shaped our cultural life, but haven't always had the recognition they deserve.
"We already know from UK City of Culture that winning, and even bidding for, these titles brings real benefits - jobs, investment, and opportunities for people to get creative and learn new skills."
For context: Ipswich's cultural ecosystem has received national attention. Last November, Lisa Nandy visited the Baths to see a surprise performance by Ed Sheeran.
Nandy praised the town's music scene as a model for others across the UK, saying it provides "an entire ecosystem through from equipping young people with those skills and that love of music at school, all the way through to being able to perform at smaller live music venues, larger live music venues and get the skills that they need to work in the music industry."
The big picture: The competition builds on the success of past UK City of Culture winners, which have seen over £1 billion of additional investment added to local economies, alongside increased jobs, tourism and local pride.
Bradford, the current UK City of Culture, has already delivered significant benefits. Within the first six months of the programme, over 11,000 pupils have benefitted from education programmes, over 40,000 local people participated in cultural events, over 2,000 people from every ward in the district have volunteered, and over 4,000 people have benefitted from training programmes, according to Abbott.
The criteria for UK City of Culture have been updated to make the competition more accessible to large towns, focusing on creating transformational opportunities and richer lives for people across the UK, delivering local impact and empowering communities to shape their bids.
What's next: Expressions of interest for UK City of Culture 2029 are now open for the next six weeks. The winning place will be announced by the end of 2026 following the announcements of the longlist and shortlist of applicants.
The bids will be assessed by an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, joined by Claire McColgan, Director of Culture Liverpool, as Deputy Chair.
The bottom line: After years of building Ipswich's cultural reputation, Abbott is calling on residents to join him in showing the country what the town is made of through a City of Culture bid that could transform its economy and bolster its already vibrant arts scene.
