Christmas lights in Manchester? Never heard of them! But apparently we have one of the most popular sets of Christmas lights in the UK, which is as jolly and festive as we all need it to be at this time of year.
I jest, of course; Manchester has become a twinkling haven over the past few weeks in the lead up to Christmas, as well as a number of Christmas light trails taking place this season in and around the city. Manchester is officially doused in festive splendour, and the city has been given this impressive accolade.
Premier Inn have crunched the numbers to give each UK a city an index score based on data such as Google searches and Instagram hashtags. Manchester came in the top five of the most popular cities for Christmas lights in the UK, bagging fourth place and even beating the real deal Blackpool illuminations (not the ones your dad constantly refers to the “well-lit” home as).
Manchester received an index score of 11,447, but sadly the capital took the crown with 164,891, followed by Liverpool (18,487) and Bournemouth (12,877) in second and third place. With lights illuminating Piccadilly Gardens, St Peter’s Square, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square and the Cathedral, as well as playing host to Lightopia, Manchester has a well-deserved place in the most popular cities for Christmas light displays.
A spokesperson from Premier Inn said: “The Christmas season is a wonderful opportunity to visit different locations and enjoy the festive glow of a new city, whether with your family (especially if Santa is present!) or as a romantic trip filled with mulled wine and exploring the Christmas glitz with your mittens hand in hand.
“It’s usually a cost-effective way to tour a new city in a new light (literally!) and some cities even have light trail attractions and winter-themed activities, such as the Winter Wonderland in London’s Hyde Park, that extend into January. We encourage people to get out and take in the joyful atmosphere under the lights and iconic landmarks before the festive period is out.”
The lights around the city are pretty incredible, to be fair; so grab a mulled wine and take them in while you can! Most will be gone by the first week of January. They’re some of the best in the UK, but blink and you’ll miss ’em!
You can read the entire study by Premier Inn here.