The team that delivered Bradford’s City of Culture year will continue to plan events in the District until 2027, it has been announced.

With Bradford 2025 now in its final days, more details of the legacy of the City of Culture title have today been announced.

Bradford Culture Company Ltd, the charity set up to deliver the year of events, will remain in place until March 2027 to “develop the legacy programme” for Bradford 2025, and continue to apply for funding for cultural events in the District.

And they will continue working with Bradford’s museums and galleries to deliver a “joined up cultural offer for the coming year.

The announcement on 2025’s legacy has revealed that £39m investment has been secured for Bradford during the year.

BBC highlighted Bradford on its channels and radio shows multiple times during the year, with over 22.6 million people watching the District on TV and iPlayer.

At a recent meeting of Bradford Council’s Executive, members were told of the various risks facing the Council in the coming years.

One was a failure to follow up on the success of the City of Culture year.

A report said: “There is the risk that as legacy arrangements are being finalised, the momentum generated during Bradford’s tenure as UK City of Culture in 2025 may not translate into long-term cultural, social, or economic benefits.”

The Council will hope that today’s announcement, while light on details, mitigates some of that risk.

A statement from the Authority says: “With record audiences, national recognition and more than £39m investment secured during its year as City of Culture, Bradford Council is committing to ongoing support for the cultural sector to deliver the next chapter of Bradford’s cultural growth.

“Throughout 2025, Bradford showcased its creativity on a scale never seen before. From RISE and Strike to Painting the Sky, The Turner Prize, The Railway Children, Beacon and Antiques Roadshow, and from a Royal visit to features on Gardener’s World, Countryfile and Extraordinary Portraits, the 2025 programme reached tens of millions of people across the UK and beyond.

“BBC coverage alone brought Bradford into homes nationwide, with 22.6 million viewers watching content on TV and iPlayer.

“In the first half of the year alone an estimated 1.1 million people attended events across all 30 wards, more than 40,000 local residents took part directly, and over 2,000 volunteers supported activities.

“As the year draws to a close, Bradford Council has confirmed continued funding for local cultural organisations, also known as Regularly Funded Organisations.

It went onto say: “In addition, a new community capital grant programme has been announced. This will enable local eligible organisations to apply for capital grants between £5000 and £50,000 to support delivery of cultural and/or sport activities in the Bradford District. This funding will help the sector develop new work, engage with more people and strengthen the overall contribution to Bradford’s community life and economy.

This commitment is in addition to the council’s budget for cultural investment which was agreed in 2019 as part of the UK City of Culture bid submission. This existing funding will be committed to support collaboration with Bradford Culture Company Ltd to deliver the legacy cultural programme and further develop the cultural sector in the coming year.

Bradford Culture Company Ltd, the charity that has delivered this year’s programme will be supported to continue producing high-quality cultural events, attracting national partners and securing external match funding.

During 2025, BCCL brought in multi-million-pound investment from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Arts Council England and the National Lottery, as well as from private business, creating clear pathways to future funding that Bradford is well placed to benefit from.

To carry this success forward, a managed transition period will run from January 2026 to March 2027, allowing BCCL to maintain a small but effective structure to develop the legacy programme, support the 2000 volunteers and continue fundraising.”

It concluded: “More details of the legacy programme will be announced in the New Year.

Council-owned cultural venues and services, including theatres, museums, libraries, markets and sports facilities, will work closely with BCCL to deliver a joined-up cultural offer. The council will also continue to support the thousands of volunteers whose enthusiasm and commitment have been one of the defining features of Bradford’s year.

Bradford Council will now focus on turning an exceptional year into long-term benefit by supporting the cultural sector to grow, helping organisations become more sustainable, and ensuring Bradford continues to attract investment, talent and opportunity for many years to come.”

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council, said: “After such an amazing year for Bradford, we need to build on the achievements.  We’re determined to make the most of the energy, pride and partnerships this year has generated. Being UK City of Culture has gained us national and international attention. A successful legacy must now convert this into delivering further regeneration and growth so our communities can thrive.

Winning the bid for City of Culture helped bring investment to the district such as the additional platform at Forster Square station and commitment to building Brit School North in Bradford.”

She added: “Bradford is exciting a lot of interest from investors, but we all know that future regeneration investment is also dependent on improved rail connectivity and infrastructure, something government has been promising for some time. 

We are working effectively with partners in local and national government to re-enforce this and gain certainty on promised improvements to Bradford rail connectivity and wider transport infrastructure.”

Dan Bates, Executive Director, and Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford Culture Company, said: “This new partnership with Bradford Council allows us to build on that success and continue to collaborate with our sector, open up access to our volunteering programme and create fresh opportunities for creatives and audiences alike, ensuring the impact of 2025 leaves a lasting mark across the district.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “I hope to see Bradford go from strength to strength after a fantastic year of events and ensure their year in the spotlight has a lasting legacy that everyone across the district can benefit from.”

Sir Phil Redmond, Creative Chair and Lead Judge for the UK City of Culture 2025 Bid said: “2025 has been an amazing year for Bradford, you can sense the positivity in the place and see the impact this year has had.

The platform Bradford now has to unlock its potential is huge. The continued collaboration with Bradford Culture Company will protect critical skills, maintain funder confidence and secure delivery of a strong and vibrant cultural programme throughout 2026 and into 2027.

Bradford now has a huge opportunity to really push forward and make the district a cultural jewel in the Yorkshire crown”