But now, we’ve got ourselves a new crown… and this is definitely one to wear with pride.
Our city has gifted the world so much throughout history, from the splitting of the atom, the right for women to vote, and the first ever computer, right through to the NHS, the iconic ‘Madchester’ music scene, and even the beloved delicacy that is Vimto, so perhaps it goes without saying that we’d be considered one of the UK’s creative capitals, right?
Manchester has been named one of the UK’s ‘most creative’ cities for 2024 / Credit: Marketing Manchester | Kimpton Clocktower Hotel
The fact us Mancs consider our city to be creative has now been backed-up by a new study carried out by Adobe Express – which has placed us not just within the top 15 or top 10, but in the top five.
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To create the ranking, Adobe Express compared 25 UK cities against each other and looked into factors such as the number of art galleries and museums, creative festivals and events, the amount of art schools, the volume of theatres, and the number of jobs listed in the ‘creative’ field.
Top 10 most ‘creative’ UK cities in 2024
Brighton and Hove
London
Edinburgh
Manchester
Leicester
Coventry
Derby
Bournemouth
Belfast
Bradford
Jobs in ‘creative’ industries currently represent around 7% of the UK workforce, according to recent statistics, and Adobe Express says that living in a city which supports creativity can “significantly enhance” the ability to “thrive and produce innovative work” for creative individuals.
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Our city’s new title is all according to a new study carried out by Adobe Express / Credit: Marketing Manchester
Brighton and Hove has been named the UK’s most creative city thanks to having an unrivalled number of more than 26 art galleries per 100,000 people, while England’s capital unsurprisingly claims the second spot on the list and boasting the highest number of creative jobs in the ranking, and Scotlands stunning capital, Edinburgh, snatching third place.
Manchester follows really closely behind Edinburgh and sits pretty within the top five, scoring an impressive overall 1.910.
The city has 65 art schools, 882 creative jobs listed, and 815 events and festivals to its name.
Some of the other Northern cities making the top 10 list include Bradford and Derby, and elsewhere within the top 15 is where you’ll find Liverpool and Sheffield.
Featured Image – KCH / The Refuge (via Supplied)
News
When does the UK’s fourth heatwave of the year hit Greater Manchester?
Danny Jones
Brace yourselves: ANOTHER heatwave is set to hit the UK – the fourth in 2026 so far – and, understandably, Greater Manchester residents are already preparing for the latest blast of hot weather and wondering when it gets here.
Yes, in case you missed the news, more high temperatures are set to spread across Great Britain and Ireland this month and heading into August.
The increase will gradually build throughout this week, with Wednesday tipped to be the hottest day according to various meteorological sources.
Fortunately for us here in the North West, parts of the Midlands and the usual suspects down south are set to hit the highest numbers, but the thermometers are still on course to reach around the mid-20s over the coming days.
Temperatures are set to rise this week across some areas, bringing a return to hotter conditions 🥵
The heat looks to be fairly short-lived, however, with temperatures expected to fall again towards the end of the week 🌡️ pic.twitter.com/IKsunEdwhU
Estimates of 26°C have been predicted for this coming Tuesday, with the levels floating in and around 24/25 on the following Wednesday.
The heat is then due to drop off slowly, with top scores of no higher than 21°C on the cards for Thursday and Friday. Although the weekend forecast is less certain at present, one thing that has been announced is reduced rainfall.
Aside from a few more trickles today (Mon, 27 July), the showers or lack thereof cease rather soon, with some of the driest parts of the country already having various effects; for instance, parched parts of Wales have even revealed lost archaeological sites last Friday (24/7/2026).
It would be remiss if we didn’t mention the obvious moorland fires across our region, which were sadly exacerbated by hot weather earlier this month.
Following on from the hottest June on record, the Dovestone and Tinwhistle areas of Oldham and parts of Derbyshire saw hundreds of hectares turn into a deeply dangerous blaze for several days.
As per the latest statistics, it’s said that the equivalent of 1,250 football pitches were scorched following the alarming wildfire, which also raised concerns for wildlife and surrounding air quality.
Former US President Barack Obama is coming to Manchester for a special ‘Evening With’ event
Danny Jones
No, not a prank: the former President of the United States, Barack Obama, is coming to Manchester on his upcoming UK tour.
Confirming just three domestic dates across Great Britain and Ireland, the 44th President turned successful global speaker has delivered talks all over the world, and now he’ll be coming to the Co-op Live arena.
We always knew the industry-leading events space was going to lead to some big names, but no one was expecting this one.
Set to deliver his first-ever ‘An Evening With’ here in Greater Manchester, Barack Obama will be coming to the Co-op later this year.
Officially announcing the live show in line with a key American date, Obama will be making his first-ever visit to our city.
The Co-op Live post reads: “As America marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, President Barack Obama joins us in Belfast, Glasgow and Manchester to discuss what comes next – for America, and for all of us.”
More than two and a half centuries on from the start of the nation becoming the United States, the series of intimate interviews comes alongside a significant anniversary for both countries.
Always praised for being a talented orator, the 64-year-old ex-Commander in Chief has found a fruitful second career on the so-called ‘keynote circuit’ following his time as POTUS.
Having served two consecutive terms in the post, it feels undeniably surreal to hear that he will be coming to visit, especially amid the obvious recent development of our very own Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, having now become the 59th British PM.
As for Obama, it’s no surprise that he booked the biggest venue possible for his debut talk in 0161.
Presented by SeatUnique, who specialise in affordable but premium hospitality seats/tickets for live entertainment, it goes without saying that this is an unprecedented moment for the venue, specifically.
Set to arrive on 15 October, tickets go live from 10am at the end of this month, with official Co-op members pre-sale passes available from the same time on Wednesday, 29 July.
You can get ready to grab your tickets right HERE.
Manchester is an international city and its popularity is growing rapidly. Barack Obama, former US President is reportedly coming to Manchester this October. pic.twitter.com/9twbfaIWbI
Emily Sergeant -
11th June 2024 
