Leeds� Capital of Culture bid a boost for the whole City Region

The Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has labelled Leeds� bid to be European Capital of Culture as a �boost for the entire City Region�, 100 days ahead of its formal submission.

Cllr Peter Box, who is also Leader of Wakefield Council, said the whole of the Leeds City Region would benefit from the increased visitor, investment and media interest arising from the bid and has encouraged all local residents and businesses to back it in full.

Leeds will put in its formal submission for the 2023 title on 27 October. It follows on from the city being named as one of Europe�s top destinations for international travellers by Lonely Planet, the City Region recording its highest levels of Foreign Direct Investment in the EY Attractiveness Survey 2017 and luxury brand Burberry announcing plans to open a �second hub� alongside its London HQ in Leeds city centre later this year.

Alongside this, the region regularly plays host to a number of iconic and unique festivals including the Leeds Indie Food Festival; Wuthering Bytes, in Hebden Bridge; the Bradford Literature Festival; Tour de Yorkshire; and the World Triathlon Series.

Cllr Box said: �Leeds� bid to be European Capital of Culture 2023 is a boost for the entire City Region, shining a much-needed light on the cultural sights and sounds of the city as well as the region as a whole.

�Locally, we all know what we can offer as a region � earlier this month the Hepworth Gallery, in Wakefield, was named Art Fund Museum of the Year while a new permanent David Hockney exhibition also opened in Bradford � and this bid will raise the profile of these as well as Leeds as one of our cultural hubs.

�I would ask everyone across the Leeds City Region to now back the bid and support the various activities the Leeds2023 team has in store between now and October. Let�s get to work to get Leeds and the City Region firmly imprinted on to Europe�s cultural map.�


Over the next 100 days, local people can get involved by:

• Pledging their support on the Leeds2023 website (new tab).�
• Shouting out on social media with #MakeLeeds2023.
• Downloading the Leeds2023 logo.
• Connecting with the Leeds2023 team at various events across Leeds (new tab).

Two cities will be chosen as European Capital of Culture for 2023 � one from Hungary and one from the United Kingdom. In the UK, Leeds will compete against Bristol, Dundee, Milton Keynes, Truro and either Belfast, Derry or Strabane.

There have been two previous UK European Capitals of Culture since the programme began in 1985. Glasgow was the sixth Capital of Culture in 1990 while Liverpool took on the mantle alongside Norway's Stavanger, in 2008.

Aarhus, in Denmark, and Paphos, in Cyprus, are the current European Capitals of Culture while Hull is the UK Capital of Culture.

More information on events being planned can be found on the Leeds Bid website, at www.leeds2023.co.uk (new tab).

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