Bradford’s City of Culture designation this year helped to drastically speed up the regeneration of the city centre, the creative director of Bradford 2025 has said.

Shanaz Gulzar told the recent Great Northern Conference event in Doncaster that the City of Culture designation had also had a significant impact on metrics such as visitor footprint in Bradford.

She said: “For Bradford, City of Culture this year has meant that the regeneration of the city center, which would have normally taken about three to four years, has been delivered in 18 months. So having a major event means major infrastructure is actually put into place, and that long term plans have actually been delivered much faster.

“It has also had a significant impact on the engagement and visitor footprint that we have had this year.

A performer on stage at Brighter Still, the closing event of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture in Myrtle Park, a large‑scale outdoor production bringing together dancers, choirs and poetry, marking the end of the year long programme which celebrated the district's communities, heritage and creativity. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Media Assignments

placeholder image — A performer on stage at Brighter Still, the closing event of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture in Myrtle Park, a large‑scale outdoor production bringing together dancers, choirs and poetry, marking the end of the year long programme which celebrated the district's communities, heritage and creativity. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Media Assignments

“I can’t stress how having a designation like a UK City of Culture brings different sectors together.

“It’s a unique opportunity to bring the business, education, health, arts, public and private sectors together.”

Her comments at the Great Northern Conference came in the same session as Sarah McLeod OBE, CEO of Wentworth Woodhouse, who also hailed the major benefit of cultural events in the region and for locations like the one she is responsible for.

She said: “The economic value is great because you get so much spin off from any major event that you bring into an area, but I think a really important part is the pride that it instills in a place.

“Speaking personally from my work at Wentworth, this year we had the RHS Flower Show come to Rotherham for the first time, and it's almost intangible the effect that that had on the people who live there, that they felt such great pride.”

Lori Hoinkes, chief executive of venue Manchester Central, added that she believed that new events should be designed to highlight the different parts of the North.

She said: “I think the real opportunity for us in 2030 and beyond is to do the type of event where we really showcase the entire North, where we've got different aspects of an event taking place in different regions, and allowing them to really shine with what makes them special and unique.”

It came as Pete Massey of Arts Council England also hailed the “significant contribution” of cultural events on the visitor economy.

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has previously praised the Bradford 2025 progamme when the closing season for the year was announced.

She said: “Bradford 2025's closing season perfectly captures what makes this UK City of Culture so special – stories told by local people, celebrating the rich heritage and diverse communities that define Bradford.

“This programme demonstrates how culture can transform places and bring communities together while putting local voices at the heart of cultural celebration.”

The closing event was called Brighter Still, involving a community cast of hundreds of people taking place across the recent winter solstice on December 20 and 21.