Britain to hold post-Brexit festival celebrating culture, sport and innovation, Theresa May announces

The UK will host a major new festival to celebrate culture, sports and innovation in 2022, in an attempt to showcase its post-Brexit future, Theresa May has announced.

Ministers will pour £120m into preparations for The Festival, a nationwide celebration inspired by the 1851 Great Exhibition during Queen Victoria's reign and the post-war Festival of Britain some 70 years ago.

The prime minister said the event would come at a moment of “national renewal” as the nation seeks to establish itself outside the European Union, and will coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The timing would also coincide with the next general election, which is scheduled for 2022 if Ms May can steer her party through the challenging months ahead.

The prime minister said: “Almost 70 years ago the Festival of Britain stood as a symbol of change. Britain once again stands on the cusp of a new future as an outward facing global trading nation.

“And, just as millions of Britons celebrated their nation’s great achievements in 1951, we want to showcase what makes our country great today.

“We want to capture that spirit for a new generation, celebrate our nation’s diversity and talent and mark this moment of national renewal with a once-in-a-generation celebration.”

The government hopes for a repeat of the £28bn investment boost from the 2012 London Olympics through construction, tourism and trade.

Ms May will be keen to shift the conversation towards some positive policies as Conservative members head to Birmingham for a party conference set to be dominated by Brexit infighting.

However the party found itself embroiled in a major row before the conference began, when it emerged that private data for cabinet ministers, MPs and journalists had been accidentally leaked on the official Conservative conference app.