Barnsley for UK Town of Culture 2028 - have your say

Barnsley is exploring the opportunity to bid to become UK Town of Culture. This survey is part of gathering local views to help shape an Expression of Interest (EOI) to submit to the government. This will start the bid process.

The winning town will receive £3 million to deliver a transformational cultural programme. The runners-up will also receive investment to support part of their proposal.

Local organisations including Barnsley Council, ArtWorks South Yorkshire, Barnsley Civic, Barnsley Community and Voluntary Services, Gary Clarke Company, the National Trust’s Wentworth Castle Gardens, and Yorkshire Sculpture Park have all expressed their support. These organisations will now be working together to prepare and submit an expression of interest to the government to begin the process of bidding for Town of Culture status.

Winning UK Town of Culture 2028 would be an opportunity to recognise and build on the wealth of creativity already happening right across the borough.

We want to understand what makes Barnsley special to you, the kinds of events and activities people value, and how a Town of Culture programme could benefit communities across the borough. Your responses will help inform the Barnsley story, ideas, priorities, and evidence included in the Town of Culture Expression of Interest.

Fill in our survey

We've created a survey to provide you with an opportunity to offer your views. We'd love to hear from you. Please complete the survey by midnight on Sunday 15 March 2026.

The survey should take about 5 to 10 minutes to complete.