Manchester has been named the best of a lot of things, and we take those accolades with grace and pride, but the one thing we’re particularly proud of is our culture. Now, Manchester has been named the best city for culture in the UK, and 29th in Europe, according to a new study, and although we’re not surprised, we’re definitely feeling vindicated.
Global luggage storage provider Stasher has analysed data on cultural venues in 131 European cities with a population of over 325,000.
Information was gathered on eight different types of cultural sites, including points of cultural and artistic interest; live performance spaces; film and media sites; literary sites; comedy and entertainment venues; dance studios; parks and recreational spaces; and music and audio retail locations. Each city was rated based on the number of venues per 100,000 population in each category and scored out of 100.
Manchester ranked 29th in the study with a score of 54.4 out of 100, higher than any other city in the UK, making it the best city for experiencing culture in all its forms in the UK. Our city secured its place in the study thanks to the second-highest rate of comedy and entertainment venues per 100,000 in Europe, with 31, second only to Barcelona.
Manchester also scored 52.34 in live performance spaces, 13.65 in parks and recreational spaces, and 15.42 in music and audio retail locations, all of which we love to shout about, so we can vouch for those. Bristol and Leeds took 36th and 50th place, respectively, while London settled in 55th.
Paris is the best European city for culture, scoring 77.14 out of 100, thanks to the highest number of parks and recreational spaces per 100,000 people in Europe. It was also among the top-performing cities for the number of live performance spaces, film and media sites, and points of cultural and artistic interest.
Barcelona fell just short of Paris, placing second on the list of Europe’s most cultural cities with a score of 74.89. The Catalonian capital is the top city in Europe for comedy and entertainment venues, averaging 41 sites per 100,000 people (679 in total). Parks and recreational spaces are also incredibly popular in the city, with 46 per 100,000 residents, second only to Paris.
The top 10 best cities for culture in Europe are:
- Paris − 77.14
- Barcelona − 74.89
- Amsterdam − 74.74
- Milan − 66.11
- Budapest − 66.04
- Zurich − 65.92
- Lyon − 65.28
- Lisbon − 65.13
- Warsaw − 64.64
- Krakow − 63.81
Anthony Collias, Co-Founder of Stasher, commented on the study: “Planning is such a significant part of any long holiday or short city break. Understanding where you are visiting, what they have to offer and how much it suits your interests is paramount to making the most of your experience.”
So, when you’re planning your next trip, don’t let Manchester fall out of your rankings, because this study certainly didn’t.