A new survey reveals our wonderful city of Leeds to be one of the most creative in the UK.
And we have to say, we absolutely agree.
Leeds' newest title comes as Adobe Express recently-ran a survey of 2,000 UK adults, and learned that just one in six (15%) Brits are planning to take up a hobby as one of their new year’s resolutions in 2024.
The same survey found that more than two thirds (67%) of the nation declared themselves as ‘very creative’.
But which UK towns and cities officially lead the way on the creativity scale?
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Well, in a bid to find out, Adobe Express experts took a look at look 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, to come up with the top 10 list.
Leeds came in at a very respectable number 4, although we'd argue that it should've taken the top spot which was given to our Northern neighbours across the Pennines in Manchester.
Top 10 most creative cities in the UK
Manchester
Brighton and Hove
Bristol
Leeds
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Newcastle
Glasgow
Norwich
Nottingham
Manchester claimed the title with an overall creativity score of 8.7/10, with a whopping 111 notable creatives per 100,000 people as well as around 31 relevant job roles per 100,000 residents in the creative arts sector too.
Brighton and Hove follow close behind us in second place, with the rest of the top five being rounded out by Bristol, Leeds, and Edinburgh.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Fellow Northern cities Liverpool and Newcastle also feature in the top 10.
At the other end of the spectrum, however, the UK’s least creative town out of all 30 locations analysed was found to be Northampton,with an overall creativity score of just 2.0/10, and it’s joined near the bottom of the list by other places such as Hull and Stoke-on-Trent.
Leeds City Council has confirmed that work to stabilise buildings on Lower Kirkgate is set to begin later this month, with repairs expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
Back in 2024, Lower Kirkgate in Leeds city centre was closed following the partial collapse of a building, leaving one of the city's oldest streets inaccessible.
Since then, the street has remained closed while plans were developed to address the structural issues affecting the buildings.
Now, almost two years after the initial incident, the council has confirmed that a contractor has been appointed to carry out the work.
The buildings are privately owned, but Leeds City Council says it will step in to carry out the stabilisation work to prevent further deterioration and protect the historic properties.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are pleased that, following months of careful planning and preparation, we are now in a position to begin stabilising these privately owned buildings.
“A contract has been awarded for the work, which is scheduled to get under way later this month and is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
“It should be stressed that the situation on Lower Kirkgate is not of the council's making, with the owners of the buildings allowing their condition to deteriorate over many years and then failing to take the necessary steps to address the resultant structural issues.
“By stepping in and carrying out this work itself, the council will be able to arrest the deterioration of important heritage assets on one of Leeds’s oldest streets. As always, we thank the local community for their continued patience and support.”
Further details about the work, including when the street may be able to reopen, have not yet been confirmed.
Canadian rock legends Nickelback announce Leeds gig on huge world arena tour
Clementine Hall
Nickelback announce world arena tour in support of their new album - and they're coming to Leeds.
The Canadian rockers will be bringing their biggest hits as well brand-new music to arenas around the world.
Formed in Hanna, Alberta, the band made up of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair, have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide.
Best known for rock anthems including Rockstar, Photograph and How You Remind Me, Nickelback have built up a huge global following over the course of their career.
The upcoming tour will see the band celebrate their new album, Everything Under The Sun, and they'll be kicking off the UK leg of the tour right here in Leeds at the First Direct Bank Arena.
The tour follows their record-setting Get Rollin' world tour, and will once again take them to venues across North America, Europe, and Australia.
The group have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide, and achieved billions of streams across digital platforms.
Their new album will be released at the end of the month on Friday 30 October, so you'll have plenty of time to get to know their new tracks before they come to Leeds on Saturday 22 May 2027.
They'll be supported on the tour by Don Broco, an English four-piece featuring Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney, Tom Doyle and Matt Donnelly. Known for their genre-defying sound and dynamic approach to modern rock.
Nickelback 2027 UK Tour Dates in full
22 May - Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
24 May - London The O2
28 May - Birmingham Utility Arena
1 June - Glasgow Ovo Hydro
2 June - Manchester Co-op Live
Tickets for Nickelback at the Leeds First Direct Arena go on sale next Friday 16 October and you can get yours HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd January 2024 
