Unboxed was the UK's largest post-Brexit government-funded cultural festival, spanning 107 locations and reaching an audience of 18 million in 2022.
Key Facts
- Total cost
- £120 million
- Audience reached
- 18 million people
- Number of venues
- 107 locations
- Duration
- March to November 2022
- Number of projects
- 10 projects
- Countries covered
- All four countries of the UK
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the 2016 Brexit referendum, the Conservative government announced in 2018 a national festival to celebrate British identity and creativity. Initially conceived as a 'Festival of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' and informally dubbed the 'Festival of Brexit' by Jacob Rees-Mogg, the event was intended to mark the UK's departure from the European Union and invest in culturally underserved regions.
Rebranded as Unboxed: Creativity in the UK to avoid Brexit associations, the festival ran from March to November 2022 across 107 locations in all four UK nations. Ten projects spanning science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics were presented free of charge in person and across broadcast and online platforms, at a total reported cost of £120 million.
The festival reported an audience of 18 million people and was described by organisers as a major cultural investment in areas typically underserved by public funding. However, its origins in Brexit politics and its significant public cost attracted ongoing commentary and scrutiny regarding its value and purpose as a national celebration.