Rotherham’s festival year as the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture may have come to an end – but the show will go on, as organisers have confirmed that the closing ceremony will take place on Friday 20th March 2026, featuring hundreds of local residents. Rotherham made history in 2025 when young people proclaimed it the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture. The ambitious youth-led project will now culminate in a finale celebration event created by Rotherham’s young people, taking place in the town centre. Outdoor arts specialist Walk the Plank, who delivered European Capital of Culture celebrations Bodø 2024, Turku 2011, and Liverpool 2008, is working with a new generation of artists in Rotherham to showcase their talent during a huge Birthday Party, where everyone is invited.
Leanne Buchan, Head of Creative Programming and Engagement at Rotherham Council, said: “It will be centred around a Birthday Party theme, marking everything that has been achieved through Children’s Capital of Culture, but more importantly, looking ahead to what’s to come after such a game-changing year of creativity, culture and opportunity in Rotherham. “This year brings a new chapter for Rotherham, one in which the skills, talents and creativity of its children are nurtured, its young people are empowered and its communities are proud to call Rotherham home. Our town has undergone a significant revitalisation because of Children’s Capital of Culture, and we’re keeping it going.”
During its landmark festival year in 2025, Rotherham’s young people collaborated with cultural partners to deliver a diverse programme of events and activities in the borough. Highlights included Rotherham’s first opera; Otherham Winter Light Festival; Roots, a street carnival themed around nature and the environment; UPLIFT urban sport and art festival; and community events like Ferham Festival, Whiston Gala and Aston Carnival. Over 150 young people have been employed in the creative industries as part of the initiative, with alumni going on to work at Netflix, CBBC and Channel 4. Alongside this successful employment programme, Children’s Capital of Culture has also worked with over 100 schools and colleges through its creative learning programme.
The project has brought colour and creativity to the borough’s streets, parks and schools with large-scale murals, outdoor art galleries and sculptures. It’s turned stately homes into playgrounds, and the RHS Flower Show into a teenage dirt park.
For further information, visit http://www.childrenscapitalofculture.co.uk.
What happens next?
More events
There is already continuation funding in place for the following events in 2026:
- Grimm & Co’s Festival of Stories
- RMBC Events and Yorkshire Sport Foundation’s UPLIFT Festival
- Flux Rotherham’s Gallery Town programme
- Wentworth Woodhouse’s Creative Health commissioning programme.
Baby packs
Rotherham Council has also announced the launch of new Rotherham Baby Packs in 2026. The Council has invested £360,000 as part of its family-friendly budget in the Rotherham Baby Packs, which aim to provide essential items to families with newborns and forms part of the Council’s commitment to ensuring that every child in Rotherham gets the best possible start in life.
A new way of working
Children’s Capital of Culture has made significant structural change that centres children and young people at the heart of ‘making things happen’ in Rotherham. This is now being taken forward further afield. Children’s Capital of Culture will host a Creative Conference in March in Rotherham, equipping attendees with the excitement, knowledge, and skills to deliver similar projects in their own areas.