Dunno mate. Saw the article on the Beeb website and it made me smile at first, but when you think a bit harder Sunderland has quite a bit going for it. And if Hull got it last time FFS...
Can't tell if the award is a wind up to be honest. Coventry... Hull... What are they considering to be culture? London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool have never been nominated though they've provided our country with most of our music, art, museum exhibits, literature and film over the last 50 years. Bit nonsensical for me. Being nominated is a bit of an insult. We were lumped with Swansea, Paisley, Stoke-on-Trent and Coventry... Esteemed company.
2013 Winner - Derry/LondonDerry. Shortlisted - Birmingham, Sheffield, Norwich. 2017 Winner - Kingston Upon Hull. Shortlisted - Dundee, Leicester, Swansea Bay 2021 Winner - Coventry. Shortlisted - Sunderland, Paisley, Stoke on Trent, Swansea. ****ing joke of a selection since it's inception. No London, no Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, York and so on. Different award. That's the European capital of Culture. Not the UK City of culture.
Regardless of the award's prestige, this has provided regeneration which simply would not have happened if not for this competition so I personally wouldn't knock it.
City of culture is about spreading culture via investment.. The cities that you mentioned already have the investment and culture..
Its that Jimmy Hill effect. But didn't Coventry get totally rebuilt after WW2 and has a much better infrastructure and facilities than most of other contenders. It's a strange one this - location is almost Greater Brum - "Midlands Engine" revs up imo.