Ed Sheeran among first nine ambassadors to back Ipswich's City of Culture the bid

Why it matters: Ipswich has announced its first tranche of Ambassadors, a group spanning music, theatre, film, writing, broadcasting, farming and conservation, all publicly championing the town ahead of its full bid submission next month.

The details: The first Ambassadors to be announced – nine in total – are:

• Ed Sheeran MBE – the global superstar, raised in Framlingham, is a shareholder in Ipswich Town Football Club and has long championed our town and county.
• Brian Eno – the musician, producer and artist, credited by many as the man who invented ambient music, began his creative life at St Joseph's College and Ipswich Art School.
• Nandi Bushell – the multi-instrumentalist from Ipswich, who cut her teeth in the town's pub jam sessions before becoming a viral sensation aged ten with her drum battle challenge to Dave Grohl.
• Griff Rhys Jones OBE – the actor, writer and presenter has lived on the Shotley peninsula for 40 years.
• Kerry Ellis – the West End star made her stage debut aged nine as a Munchkin at Ipswich's Wolsey Theatre.
• Jimmy and Michaela Doherty – the founders of Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park at Wherstead.
• Ashton Jones – the soul and funk singer grew up in Ipswich and went from a 15-person crowd at the Spread Eagle to the Royal Albert Hall.
• Paul Greengrass CBE – the Oscar-nominated director best known for the Bourne trilogy, has made his home in Suffolk.

What they're saying: Ed Sheeran said: "I've hoped to see Ipswich become City of Culture since I was a teenager. This town has shaped who I am, both as a person and as an artist, and it has an incredible community spirit. That's why Suffolk and Ipswich will always be where I call home. Arts and culture should be accessible to everyone, and I know this title would help create even more opportunities for people in the local area. Let's do all we can to make it happen."

Nandi Bushell said: "I am backing Ipswich's bid to be City of Culture in 2029. I've lived in Ipswich for nearly my whole life and I am proud to be from here. Without this town's support, I would not be the musician I am."

Brian Eno said: "I've always believed more in the idea of 'scenius' – that scenes, ecologies made up of many people, are the soil out of which the most powerful art in the world emerges, rather than being the 'genius' output of any one individual. Ipswich Art School was one of the first such scenes that I was part of, where, thanks to those around me, I started my journey into the world of art. That's why I'm proud to back the bid to become City of Culture 2029."

For context: Ipswich was longlisted by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) after submitting an Expression of Interest in February 2026, and received a £60,000 DCMS grant to develop its full bid.

Amy Vaughan, who was announced as Bid Director by Ipswich Borough Council just seven weeks before the bid deadline, said: "What strikes you about this group is not just the range of talent, but the strength of support for this town and this bid. Ipswich has always produced and attracted remarkable people, and this is our chance to show the whole country that. Many of the Ambassadors' careers started here – a pub jam session, a school art room, a Munchkin costume at the Wolsey. The bid for City of Culture is about making sure the next generation of stories can also begin here for many years to come."

What's next: The full bid will be submitted to DCMS on 10 August. A shortlist of four places will be announced in autumn 2026, with the winner named later in the year. Ipswich 2029 said further Ambassadors will be announced in the coming weeks.

The bottom line: With household names from music, film and theatre now publicly backing the campaign, Ipswich 2029 hopes the Ambassadors' collective profile will strengthen the town's case as it heads towards its formal submission next month.

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