Stockton has been shortlisted for the first UK Town of Culture competition.
The town, which a councillor says “lives and breathes culture”, will now get £60,000 to work on the national competition bid.
The contest carries a £3m prize for the winner and is aimed at showing that “culture belongs everywhere” as part of a government drive.
Stockton Borough councillor Nigel Cooke, cabinet member for culture, said: “We have a strong reputation and track record of promoting festivals in Stockton and we’re very proud of our cultural diversity in our community.”
The town centre was picked from 398 bids from more than 400 hopeful towns, including others elsewhere in north-east England, and the final winner will be announced early next year.
Alongside Stockton on the shortlist for “small town” were Ilfracombe, Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Sandown and Strabane.
The medium towns included Corby, Great Yarmouth, Leith, Pontypridd and Port Talbot, and the large towns were Basildon, Birkenhead, Grimsby and Rotherham.
Cooke told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, external: “For Stockton it’s quite timely because weeks before, we’ve just opened our amazing Waterfront Park.
“So we were able to publicise Stockton as a town of culture again.”