The region has a rich history to tell the world about and a wealth of well-deserved achievements to boast, but it looks as though the ‘rainy city’ has earned itself a new nickname by topping this frisky list.
It’s true that we may be in the middle of a global pandemic – with the UK having entered into its third national lockdown – but that hasn’t stopped the world getting down, dirty and dogging, with the latest research by DatingRoo showing that there has been an 85% increase in people searching for hookup spots, like cruising and dogging locations, likely due to the pent-up sexual tension and extra free time we’ve found ourselves with.
And yes, Manchester has taken the number one spot on the top 10 rankings.
The Hookup Hotspots Map by dating and sex experts DatingRoo has revealed that Manchester is the dogging capital of the UK, with Mancunians not wanting to miss out on the lockdown loving.
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Manchester clocks in at an impressive 131 outdoor hookup locations, with car parks of course among the top spots for casual outdoor-loving, and Silburn Way at Rhodes Lodges and Heaton Hall Park being firm favourites with locals.
But the adventures aren’t limited to just parks.
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Rank
City
Number of Locations
1
Manchester
131
2
Birmingham
103
3
Chelmsford
85
4
Liverpool
82
5
Bristol
76
6
Cardiff
76
7
London
67
8
Leeds
63
9
Edinburgh
62
10
Newcastle
59
Mancs apparently love to get risky in more public areas too, as Ancoats canal, Tesco Supermarket in Cheetham Hill, and Central Manchester Library are just a few of the daredevil places people love to have sex.
Elsewhere on the list, in second place is Birmingham with 103 spots, in third place is Chelmsford with 85, and heading back up north, in fourth place is Liverpool with 82 sexy hotspots.
And it’s not just England that loves to get frisky either.
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Cardiff takes fifth place with 76 spots, and meanwhile in Yorkshire, Sheffield, Leeds and Doncaster all appear in the top 20 cities.
While dogging may be stereotypically more of a British fetish, if we take a look overseas, Spain completely blows the UK out of the water when it comes to outdoor hookup and cruising locations, with an impressive 15,872 sexy hot spots.
The UK does come in second place though, with 4,616 hookup locations, but with no white sandy beaches, the top locations here were car parks and off road laybys – You know, the classic romantic spots.
You can find more information and check out the full top 20 list via the DatingRoo website here.
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
You can now have a private sleepover amongst all the history inside Manchester Museum
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum is now offering one lucky family the chance to have a sleepover with Stan the Tyrannosaurus rex.
For the first time in Manchester Museum’s history, one lucky family will be given the chance to experience an incredible night at the museum.
This unique opportunity is being offered as part of a prize draw, allowing visitors to find out what happens once the sun goes down inside the Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery – in the company of Stan, the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, of course.
The Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery is one of the most iconic spaces within Manchester Museum.
Having opened to the public all the way back in 1888, it’s part of the museum’s original building designed by celebrated Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed Manchester Town Hall and London’s Natural History Museum.
Not only will the lucky winning family enjoy an overnight stay in the gallery, but they’ll also be treated to a guided torchlight tour of the galleries after the Museum has closed, as well as other fun activities and a film screening too before bed.
You can now have a private sleepover inside Manchester Museum / Credit: The Manc Group
“We can’t be completely sure what happens when the sun goes down in our Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery, because nobody has ever spent the night in there before, but we can only imagine the kind of fun that can be had with Stan the T. rex and his friends,” said Dean Whiteside, Head of Commercial and Operations at Manchester Museum.
“This is a chance to be a part of museum history and enjoy the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience you can’t usually buy.
“At the same time, Manchester Museum is a charity so, by getting behind this initiative, you’ll be helping to support vital work that impacts the lives of people across Greater Manchester and beyond.”
Fancy it then? You can enter the prize draw by buying a ticket for £5 from the Manchester Museum Shop, with each ticket counting as one entry and the winner set to be chosen at random from all valid entries.
The prize draw is now open and closes on Monday 28 September 2026.
Emily Sergeant -
8th January 2021 
