By Carole Dennett
Sandown has taken a major step forward in its cultural revival, after being named among the towns progressing to the next stage of the UK Town of Culture competition. The national scheme, run by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, and launched in October by the Secretary of State, Lisa Nandy, aims to spotlight towns with a strong cultural identity and a clear vision for how arts, heritage, and community can drive regeneration. More than 400 towns across the UK entered the 2028 competition, with Sandown now moving into the short-listing phase in the ‘small town’ category.
Sandown’s mayor Alex Lightfoot said: “This is a huge moment for Sandown and we are overjoyed. Our bid evolves from the community up and we aim to show how together we can be Tide Turners.”
The other shortlisted towns in the category are Ilfracombe, Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Strabane, and Stockton Town Centre Ward.
The UK Town of Culture programme is designed to celebrate places with a distinctive story and a commitment to delivering a cultural programme that benefits the whole community. Short-listed towns will now receive £60,000 to develop a full bid. The winners of each of the three categories will receive £250,000, while the eventual winner will receive £3 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028.
Sandown’s bid has been shaped by extensive community involvement, including public meetings and contributions from residents, businesses and local organisations. A new partnership body, SNARK (Sandown New Action for Regeneration and Kinship), has emerged from this process, bringing together voices from ecology, education, tourism, regeneration and the wider community. The town’s vision emphasises resilience, imagination, and the potential for cultural investment to counter years of negative national coverage.
The bid highlights Sandown’s unique identity as a seaside town shaped by tides, Victorian heritage, and a long tradition of entertainment – from regattas and hat parades to arcades and promenades. It also points to future ambitions, including a sea pool and a Biosphere School, building on the Isle of Wight’s UNESCO Biosphere designation.
East Wight MP, Joe Robertson, welcomed the news, saying: “It’s fantastic news that Sandown has made the shortlist. The vision of re‑imagining Sandown’s heyday as a Victorian carnival town for the 21st century has received a huge boost from this recognition. From the UNESCO Biosphere and wonderful sandy beaches to the grand Victorian architecture, which is sadly in such a poor state in many places, Sandown is a great place to live, work, and visit. There is a great community spirit, and I wish everyone the best for the final. Well done to the other East Wight towns, who were not successful in being shortlisted this time.”
Lisa Nandy also had warm words for the town. She said: “Sandown has so much to draw on – from the natural beauty of the Isle of Wight to an incredible community spirit – and I’m looking forward to seeing an ambitious bid that does their town justice.”
The other Island towns who had put a proposal forward were Ryde, Newport, Ventnor, Shanklin and East Cowes.
