The UK’s most colourful cities

Summary/Overview

From diverse street art to extravagant murals and multicoloured exteriors, the UK is filled with colourful landscapes, but which city is the most colourful? We decided to rank the UK’s most colourful cities.

To do so we looked at four different factors. These included the Google search volume for ‘X street art’ and ‘X colour (where X is each location), Instagram hashtags such as #Xstreetart and #streetartX, the total social media mentions for X and colour/colourful, and finally the total number of images on user-generated content for ‘X colourful streets’.

Once the data was collected for each place, the factors were then normalised and given a score between 0 and 1. These normalised values were then summed and multiplied by 4 to give each location a score out of 100. And, the higher the score, the more colourful the location!

So, without further ado, let’s dive into whereabouts in the UK you’ll find the most colour.

The most colourful cities in the UK.

From Scotland to Ireland and everywhere in between, the UK’s city streets really are home to stunning street art:

1. Reading

Up first on our list of colourful locations is Reading, which has a total score of 32.127. Reading has the highest Google search volume for colour and street art (with a score of 7,592), and it also takes the top spot for the most social media mentions, coming in at 843,140.

The city is home to local artists who channel their creativity through street art, meaning unique pieces pop up on the regular. Reading also hosts an annual street art festival, where the walls of the city are brought to life through colour.

2. Liverpool

Next up we have Liverpool with a score of 16.785. If you’re looking for vibrancy in the city, head to the Baltic Triangle, a creative digital district where urban art awaits everyone who enters.

Liverpool has a Google search volume of 37,110, and a whopping 12,500 Instagram hashtags mentioning #Liverpoolstreetart and #streetartLiverpool. The city is teeming with blossoming murals, and you’ll be met with colourful and poignant art at every turn.

3. Manchester

Manchester steals the third spot with a score of 14.495. The city has a huge number of social media mentions (241,530) and we also found 60,800 Instagram hashtags mentioning #Manchesterstreetart and #streetartManchester.

The Northern Quarter is home to yet more colourful murals from both local and international artists. Yet vibrancy doesn’t just come from Manchester’s art, as its characteristic industrial red brick adds depth to its colour palette.

4. Bristol

With a total score of 14.218, Bristol is fourth on our list of the most colourful UK cities. Google search volume for colour and street art is high, with a total of 23,760. And there are a similarly high number of Instagram hashtags, coming in at 159,100.

Bristol is home to Upfest, a creative festival which sees the city’s streets transformed into a vibrant outdoor gallery. Therefore, unsurprisingly, we also found 929 Shutterstock images associated with Bristol’s colour.

5. Edinburgh

Edinburgh has a total score of 9.140, meaning it claims the midway spot on our list of vibrant UK cities. For instant colour, head to Victoria Street where you’ll find multicoloured shops in shades of orange, pink, and green. This popular street is a year-round hot spot where tourists soak up colour.

Unsurprisingly, Edinburgh also has a huge number of social media mentions with 199,090, and there are 4319 user-generated content images of its absolutely gorgeous and rustic cobbled streets.

6. Glasgow

With a score of 8.441, Glasgow is next on our list. The Google search volume for Glasgow street art and colour is 174,80, and there are 39,900 Instagram hashtags for #Glasgowstreetart and #streetartGlasgow.

Striking murals can be found in Glasgow’s city centre, and you’ll also discover plenty of colour in the West End area of the city. And, if you’re looking for incredible architecture, streets such as Blairhall Avenue boast buildings in varying colours.

7. Brighton and Hove

Unapologetically colourful, it’s really no wonder this southern coastal destination made its way onto our list. Brighton and Hove has a total score of 5.963 and a Google search volume of 7990. We also found a huge number of hashtags mentioning #Brightonstreetart and #streetartBrighton (coming in at 66,700).

The city’s carefree spirit is reflected in its eclectic street art, and the iconic Laynes are home to an array of colourful shops. Not to mention the annual pride festival in which the streets are entirely transformed with colour.

8. Belfast

With a score of 4.679, Belfast is next on our list of colourful cities. Google search volume for street art and colour in Belfast is fairly high (coming in at 10,050), and there are 19,880 social media mentions too!

If you’re searching for street art in Belfast, you’ll want to head to the hotspot of The Cathedral Quarter. There you’ll find plenty of bright murals reflective of the city’s rich history.

9. Sheffield

In the penultimate spot is Sheffield, which has a final score of 4.287. While it has a slightly lower Google search volume of 3,210, it has a huge number of Instagram hashtags mentioning #Sheffieldstreetart and #streetartSheffield, coming in at 35,800!

The city’s annual Festival of the Mind showcases art from various creatives, including vibrant installations and interactive pieces. Also, Sheffield has a thriving street art scene, which draws on colour to transform industrial architecture.

10. Birmingham

Birmingham steals the final spot with a score of 3.316. You’ll find 662 Shutterstock images mentioning colourful streets in Birmingham, as well as 60,100 social media mentions.

Birmingham’s evolving cultural identity is reflected in its street art scene. And if you’re hoping to immerse yourself in this, simply head to the neighbourhood of Digbeth. Murals pop up and disappear again in the blink of an eye, so there’s always something new to admire.

So, there we have it, the top ten most colourful cities across the UK. From the colourful streets of Brighton to the warm hues of Manchester, there’s vibrancy in abundance in various locations all across the country.

UK cities are simply bursting with colour and creativity, so if you’re creatively inclined, why not visit one of the above places for inspiration for projects of your own? And for more ways to boost your creativity, why not explore the Adobe Express blog? There you’ll find everything from the best video editing tools to insights on the latest graphic design trends.

Try Adobe Express for free now

Methodology.

This dataset contains rankings looking at the most colourful locations in the UK. To do this different factors were used. Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then normalised, to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1.

If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then summed and multiplied by 4 (UK), to give each location a total score out of 100. The locations were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores.

The factors used are as follows:

• Google Search Volume - The combined worldwide Google search volume for "X street art" and "X colour", where X is each location, between April 2023 and March 2024.
• Instagram Hashtags - The combined number of results for the hashtags "#Xstreetart" and "#streetartX" on Instagram, where X is each location.
• Social Media Mentions - The total social media mentions for "X AND (colour OR colourful)" between 01/04/2023 and 31/03/2024, as listed on Brandwatch.
• User-generated images - The total user-generated images for "X colourful streets", where X is each location.

The factors were indexed as follows:

• Google Search Volume - High values get a high score. Low values get a low score.
• Instagram Hashtags - High values get a high score. Low values get a low score.
• Social Media Mentions - High values get a high score. Low values get a low score.
• User generated Images - High values get a high score. Low values get a low score.

All data is correct as of 18/04/24. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regard to the sources provided.

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