Towns across the UK have less than one month left to put themselves forward for Let’s Celebrate Towns 2026, the national showcase of the places helping local businesses and communities to thrive, delivered by Visa in partnership with Nationwide.
Now in its fourth year, the competition is looking for examples of brilliant entrepreneurship, fresh initiatives reviving high streets, ideas that protect valued places, innovative ways communities are staying connected, and the displays of local pride that make towns what they are. Each of the five category winners receives £20,000.
A town can be entered by its MP’s office, by any councillor or member of the local authority, or by its Business Improvement District, on behalf of local businesses, community groups and residents. Entry takes minutes and closes at 23:59 on Sunday 25 October.
Rob Cameron, Group Country Manager, UK & Ireland, Visa, said:
"Our towns and high streets are the beating heart of our communities and our economy. Since we launched Let's Celebrate Towns, we have been inspired by the businesses, community groups and councils doing brilliant things for the places they call home. With less than a month to go, now is the time to make sure your town's story is heard. Whether it's a thriving high street, a new local initiative or a community coming together, we want to celebrate it. Growth starts at home, and we are proud to be shining a light on it alongside Nationwide."
Mandy Beech, Group Director of Retail Services, Nationwide, said:
"Every town that enters Let's Celebrate Towns is already doing something worth celebrating. Through our Branch Promise, we are committed to championing the Great British High Street, and it has been fantastic to see communities across the UK step forward to share what makes their town special. There is still time to take part. If your town has a story to tell, whether that's backing local businesses, protecting valued places or showing real community pride, we would love to hear it before entries close on 25 October."
Leigh Ingham, MP for Stafford said: “We won't see growth in every postcode if local leaders and local businesses don't have a hand in how that is progressed and moved forward. So what we do also need are national initiatives, like the brilliant Let's Celebrate Towns project by Nationwide and by Visa, because what we see there is business involvement that's vital, and they're uplifting our success stories in towns with real funding and real national recognition.”
Louise Brooks, Executive Director of Ramsgate Space, said: "The Let's Celebrate Towns award from Visa has been hugely important. Our mission is to tackle the empty shops problem in Ramsgate... It's really helped us sustain our organisation... Winning the award gave us such recognition with our partners, with the public."
Sue Jefferson, Co-founder, Circular Malton and Norton said: “Winning the award gave us such recognition with our partners, with the public, and we shifted overnight from being a regional market town place organisation to one with national recognition. The Let’s Celebrate Towns award was transformational for us. In fact, I don't think we'd be here if it hadn't been for that.”
Ryan Hayman, CEO, Swanley Town Council said: “We were fortunate enough to win the Let's Celebrate Towns awards for the Powering Change category in 2025. The grant that we spent in 2025 we put towards buying a new electric vehicles. We're working towards a complete new fleet of electric vehicles by 2030. Winning this award has helped us reach our environmental goals, which will benefit the residents' health and wellbeing for years to come.”
For further detail, and to enter, visit Let’s Celebrate Towns 2026: www.visaeupromotions.com/lets-celebrate-towns-visa-nationwide/
