The UK's Best and Worst Cities for Art Lovers

For art lovers seeking vibrant cultural scenes, the United Kingdom offers an array of cities that stand out as perfect havens.

From world-renowned galleries to burgeoning art districts, several cities in the UK provide an immersive and diverse experience for art enthusiasts.

Adobe Express recently ran a survey of 2,000 UK adults and learned that one in six (15%) Brits are planning to take up a hobby in 2024.

So, with more than two thirds (67%) of the nation declaring themselves as ‘very creative’, according to the same survey, just which UK towns and cities officially lead the way on the creativity scale?

Key Findings

• The research revealed that the most creative city in the UK is Manchester, boasting an overall creativity score of 8.7/10.

• Achieving a total score of 7.6/10, Brighton and Hove places second.

• Finally, in third place is Bristol, with an overall score of 7.2/10.

• Comparatively, ranking as the UK’s least creative town out of all 30 locations analysed, is Northampton, with an overall creativity score of 2.0/10.

In order to create their rankings, the experts at Adobe Express examined a variety of factors, such as the number of jobs available in the art sector, the number of museums and galleries, and the number of notable artists born in each of the 30 towns or cities compared within the study.

The research revealed that the most creative city in the UK is Manchester, boasting an overall creativity score of 8.7/10. In the northern city, there are a whopping 111 notable creatives per 100,000 people, which includes musicians, painters and writers. For those looking to get in the creative arts job market, Manchester also boasts 31 relevant job roles per 100,000 residents (at the time the study was undertaken).

Achieving a total score of 7.6/10, Brighton and Hove places second. The city’s music scene has been quite busy in the past year, with 694 concerts taking place there in 2023 alone. Interestingly, Brighton actually is home to the most art galleries and museums per 100,000 people out of all examined cities, with art lovers having the ability to choose from 16 galleries and museums to explore.

Finally, in third place is Bristol, with an overall score of 7.2/10. This southern city has 58 job roles in the creative arts sector. It also is home to 89 artists per 100,000 residents, which is 39 more than Brighton in second place.

Comparatively, ranking as the UK’s least creative town out of all 30 locations analysed is Northampton, with an overall creativity score of just 2.0/10. This East Midlands town is home to just a single art gallery and museum, and offers a total of 21 jobs available in the creative sector per 100,000 people living in the city. 

Ranking in 29th position is Kingston upon Hull, with a creativity score of just 2.2/10. It’s reported that this East Yorkshire city is home to just 37 notable painters, writers and musicians, and just two art galleries and museums per 100,000 people. 

Achieving a total score of 2.4/10, Stoke-on-Trent ranks in 28th position, out of all 30 towns and cities analysed, owing to just two art galleries and museums within the city, and a low number of creative jobs available per 100,000 residents (12).