was awarded the title in December 2017 after competing against eleven other cities. The bid was won on the strength of our city’s diversity, its youthfulness and the opportunities that being so centrally located bring. Coventry’s year in the spotlight will run from May 2021 – May 2022.

This is the city where movement began, from innovation in the transport industry to a history of activism. Our city has moved people for centuries.

For a whole year, we will celebrate our city with events, music, dance, theatre, and large-scale spectacle. As well as these big celebrations,  our city will show its unexpected side, with more intimate experiences and ways to get involved across every ward of the city. And it’s not just Coventry. This celebration will see the entire region get involved and benefit from the opportunities that being City of Culture brings.