E29: Bradford City of Culture: The Year That Changed Everything and What Comes Next

Bradford was UK’s City of Culture in 2025. The events happened, the crowds came, the spotlight found a city that had been waiting a long time to show the world what it was made of. The real question begins: what did it actually leave behind? In this final episode of our Bradford miniseries, recorded live at the Bradford Showcase at UKREiiF 2026, Tanisha Raffiuddin sits down with Zulfikar Karim, who has spent 25 years in Bradford's cultural landscape, and David Watson, Bradford Council's new Assistant Director of Culture, Policy and Events, to talk about legacy, momentum, and what comes next. Topics covered: The 20-year ambition behind Bradford's City of Culture bid and what winning actually felt like Delivering the year: pace, partnership, exhaustion, and why some of it was experimental on purpose Why Bradford extended City of Culture beyond the city to the whole district Culture as civic infrastructure: Why the argument has already been won Culture as the number one pillar in Bradford's Built Different growth plan The return on £50 million invested in cultural programming Core memories, collective experiences, and the intangible value of a cultural year How to stop momentum stalling when the spotlight moves on Planning Bradford's cultural legacy for 2030, 2040, and beyond 2025 was a rebrand, not a reinvention: Bradford is still Bradford Timestamps:00:01:08 - Welcome and introductions 00:04:01 - Going back to the bid: a 20-year ambition and what winning actually felt like 00:05:13 - What happened immediately after winning: panic, a small pot of money, and making it work 00:11:06 - What it actually takes to deliver a City of Culture: pace, partnership, exhaustion 00:15:40 - Legacy: the year has come and gone. Now what? 00:16:02 - Culture as a catalyst for investment and why Bradford is at UKREiiF talking about it 00:19:15 - Culture as civic infrastructure: the argument has already been won 00:23:03 - The tension between culture and economic development: is there one? 00:32:33 - Creative industries: the third biggest economy in the UK, worth £120 billion 00:34:07 - Core memories: Taylor Swift, Eurovision, a child running through the Mirror Pool 00:36:05 - Final thoughts: how do you stop the momentum from stalling? 00:40:32 – Closing thought: 2025 was a rebrand, not a reinvention. Bradford is still Bradford. About Our Guests Zulfikar Karim Bradford born and bred, fifth generation of South Asian heritage, and has spent the last 25 years working in culture and tourism in the city. For Zulfi, 2025 was the pinnacle of a 30-year journey from a time when culture in Bradford meant a museum, to a year that put the city on the world stage. David Watson Assistant Director of Culture, Policy and Events at Bradford Council, a role created as part of Bradford's City of Culture legacy infrastructure. Trained originally as a dancer and choreographer, David has built a career as a cultural leader and has previously delivered a City of Culture programme. He arrived in Bradford five weeks before this recording, already consumed by the city's energy, and focused on turning a remarkable cultural year into a long-term movement. Join the Conversation The spotlight has moved on from Bradford's City of Culture year, but the legacy is only just beginning. What does culture-led regeneration look like when the cameras stop rolling? Share your thoughts with us on Instagram or LinkedIn @TalkingPlacePodcast using #TalkingPlacePodcast Links & Mentions Bradford Council — https://www.bradford.gov.uk UKREiiF 2026 — https://www.ukreiif.com Bradford 2025 City of Culture — https://www.bradford2025.co.uk West Yorkshire Combined Authority — https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk Support the showTo learn more about host Tanisha Raffiuddin:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tanisharaffiuddin/Website: www.conceptculture.coInstagram: @tanisha.rrTo learn more about Talking Place:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/talking-place-podcastWebsite: www.conceptculture.co/talking-place-podcastInstagram: @talkingplacepodcastBluesky: @talkingplaceTikTok: @talkingplacepodcastTo learn more about Concept Culture:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/concept-culture-ukWebsite: www.conceptculture.coSign Up to Our Newsletter — mailchi.mp/conceptculture/newslettersignup