Coventry offers first glimpse of programme as UK City of Culture 2021

Coventry City of Culture Trust has announced the first events that will form part of the 365-day programme of UK City of Culture 2021, with a confirmed kick-off date of 15 May, 2021.

As well as announcing the date of the opening event – called Coventry Moves – other highlights include the world-renowned Turner Prize exhibition and ceremony being held at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, a major co-commission with the Royal Shakespeare Company and a three-day weekender curated by Terry Hall, the lead singer of The Specials.

Warwickshire County Council is a Principal Partner of Coventry City of Culture 2021 and the year is set to bring a range of benefits to the region, as visitors to Coventry explore the wider Warwickshire area.

The events announced are the first sight of the ways in which Coventry 2021 is radically rethinking what a City of Culture, and its legacy, means to the region and audiences locally and internationally.

They are a preview of some of the early plans for City of Culture ahead of a full programme announcement in January 2021.

All events are being planned in a flexible and responsive way, to allow them to be presented next year in line with the guidelines at the time they take place.

Co-created with local and national partners, and grassroots organisations across Coventry, the 2021 programme will include major artistic events, world premieres and commissions across theatre, music, dance, literature, comedy and visual arts.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “We are proud to a major partner in what is going to be a very exciting year for Coventry and here in Warwickshire, giving culture and tourism a real boost and bringing investment across the region.

“The programme of events that has been revealed looks fantastic and there will be plenty more to come. It will provide huge opportunities for businesses in the county to capitalise on, and we look forward with great anticipation to what is set to be a magnificent year.”

Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director of Coventry City of Culture, said: “We are announcing these events and hope, in these dark times, to give something for people to look forward to – things they can do and enjoy, whatever the future may hold. When Coventry is faced by a challenge, we tackle it head on. The resilience and innovation that the city is known for around the world can be seen in the events we have announced. “From city-wide stories to intimate experiences and small-scale events that will surprise and delight – whatever age you are, whatever brings a smile to your face, whatever makes you feel a little more alive, you will find it in Coventry City of Culture.”