The UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has announced that the UK City of Culture 2021 will be announced live tomorrow night (Thursday 7th December) on The One Show on BBC One between 7pm and 7.30 pm.
A special edition of the programme will be broadcast live from Hull as the city celebrates their tenure as the current UK City of Culture. Arts and Culture Minister John Glen will be on the sofa to announce the winner.
Swansea is shortlisted alongside Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland and Paisley for the title of UK City of Culture 2021. And ahead of Thursday’s announcement, Swansea’s bid for the title has received backing from its five namesakes across the globe.
Residents in other Swansea’s across the world have sent good luck messages as the campaign enters its last few days. Swansea’s in Massachusetts and Illinois in the US, Toronto in Canada and Tasmania and New South Wales in Australia have sent messages to the bid team as the campaign reaches its conclusion.
Rob Stewart from the Swansea 2021 team and Leader of Swansea Council, said: “After so much hard work everyone in Swansea is on the edge of their seats ahead of the Thursday. It’s brilliant news that the winner will be announced on such a fantastic platform and of course we are all hoping and praying for a good result!
“To see our bid being backed from the across of the world is truly staggering. As we get ever closer to the final decision the support has been pouring in from all over Swansea, Wales, the UK and now the world! We hope we can do our namesakes proud.”
Residents, Mayors, local councillors and workers from the five towns all got involved in backing the bid by sending good luck messages and those in Tasmania and Toronto even filmed videos with ‘backing the bid’ banners.
Rob Stewart continued: “The generosity and goodwill shown by residents in the US, Canada and Australia has been astounding. The support we have received from them and the lengths they went to show that support means a lot to us and we’d like to put on record our gratitude and appreciation.”