Four towns have been shortlisted to be the 2026 Town of Culture: Ferndown, Sherborne, Swanage & Purbeck, and Wimborne. Town of Culture was established by Arts Development Company, and is an opportunity for a town, village or hamlet in Dorset to work together and deliver a year’s worth of extraordinary cultural activity. £30,000 will be awarded to the winner by a panel of industry experts, with support and funding from Dorset Council.
David Lockwood, CEO of Arts Development Company, said:
“We’ve been bowled over by the initial submissions for Town of Culture 2026. These four towns, each distinct, show clearly the opportunities for using culture and creativity to enhance their towns for their residents. Now the four towns have a chance to develop their plans in more detail, and we’ll work with our panel to make the difficult decision as to which of them will be Dorset Town of Culture for 2026.”
Cllr Ryan Hope, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Customer, Culture and Community Engagement, said:
“The four shortlisted towns for the 2026 Town of Culture all bring something different to the table. I’m delighted they have been recognised for their individual culture offers. Dorset is home to some outstanding cultural venues and events, and I am excited to see how the judging unfolds so we can celebrate arts and events which make up the fabric of our wonderful county.”
Portland and Weymouth will be Dorset’s joint Towns of Culture in 2025. They will deliver a programme of extraordinary cultural and community events and activities across the towns in 2025.