Culture Minister Tessa Jowell is to visit Bradford to discuss plans for a nationwide festival.

Bradford 2008 has been approached by the Government to plan the event, which will involve all the 12 cities which competed for the title European Capital of Culture 2008.

A date is being fixed up for the Minister's visit.

The festival will be held in 2008, with events taking place in each city. The main focus will be on the winning city.

Bradford's Capital of Culture team director Paul Brookes has been contracted by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to draw up proposals for the festival.

On May 20 Mr Brookes will travel to London with Bradford Council chief executive Ian Stewart and chairman of Bradford 2008's executive board, Sir Michael Bichard, to a reception attended by representatives from all bidding cities.

Mr Brookes said he had submitted a draft business plan recommending how the festival could work. "I've focused on how each city can co-ordinate a series of events leading up to 2008," he said. "The events are based on the proposals outlined in each bid document."

Mr Brookes said the festival was aimed at boosting tourism across the country.

"Obviously the main focus will be on the winning city but we want people to see what the other cities have to offer too. By linking them up, via this network of cultural events, we hope people will be encouraged to move around and visit different areas of Britain. The bidding cities span from the Highlands of Scotland to the south coast of England, and includes Northern Ireland."

The six cities shortlisted for the 2008 title are Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool, Newcastle and Oxford. The winning city will be announced by Tony Blair later this year.