The UK’s Top 10 Arts & Culture Tourist Spots
THE TOP 10 ARTS & CULTURE TOURIST SPOTS IN THE UK REVEALED
With cultural tourism on the rise - steadily returning to pre-COVID levels—it’s clear that UK tourists are looking to immerse themselves in the arts and culture. Museums and galleries such as the British Museum and the Tate Modern dominated the ten most visited British attractions in 2023.
Despite national arts councils cutting funding by 16% since 2017, it’s been reported that the Government is planning to invest over £33 million in cultural organisations and services across the UK, such as Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Isle of Wight’s Dinosaur Isle.
In response to the growing interest in art tourism, the National Gallery London has worked with grassroots community art organisations nationwide to create the Art Road Trip. The Art Road Trip is a travelling art studio programme visiting 18 locations across the UK to provide events for those with reduced access to the arts.
At metals4U we have been inspired by the Art Road Trip to develop our own arts and culture guide to the UK, particularly focusing on metal sculptures and installations.
Our research examined 30 UK cities, with the aim of finding the top ten with the most to offer arts and culture tourists.
THE TOP 10 UK CITIES FOR ARTS & CULTURE
We calculated the number of sculptures, historical landmarks, and museums in each location and the number of arts organisations that received funding from their national Arts Council over the previous five years.
Based on the 30 cities researched, the following cities ranked the highest for arts and culture tourism:
|
Ranking |
City |
Number of sculptures |
Number of historical landmarks |
Number of museums |
Number of arts orgs. that received funding in the last 5 years |
Total |
|
1 |
London |
349 |
469 |
489 |
268 |
1575 |
|
2 |
Liverpool |
198 |
285 |
36 |
22 |
541 |
|
3 |
Edinburgh |
87 |
118 |
100 |
11 |
316 |
|
4 |
Glasgow |
101 |
37 |
73 |
17 |
228 |
|
5 |
Birmingham |
52 |
80 |
39 |
37 |
208 |
|
6 |
Belfast |
14 |
50 |
46 |
173 |
|
|
7 |
Manchester |
18 |
24 |
39 |
43 |
124 |
|
8 |
York |
31 |
43 |
43 |
6 |
123 |
|
9 |
Bath |
34 |
46 |
40 |
1 |
121 |
|
10 |
Bristol |
16 |
36 |
43 |
20 |
115 |
Results by Region
1. London
Unsurprisingly, London took the top spot, beating Liverpool in second place by a whopping 191%. 258 creative and cultural organisations in the capital are expected to receive a total of £143.7million of funding between 2023 and 2026.
A Harry Kane statue, due to be unveiled later in the year, is one of the most notable upcoming sculptures in the capital. The footballer's statue was commissioned by Waltham Forest Council in 2019-20 and shelved for four years until a suitable display location was found.
2. Liverpool
Coming in second place, Liverpool is renowned for its rich cultural heritage. Although the city is probably most celebrated for its musical legacy, Liverpool has 198 permanent sculptures on display, cementing its position as an exciting location for art tourists to visit. The sculptures include the Another Life statues on Crosby beach and statues of Eleanor Rigby, Cilla Black, John Lennon, and The Beatles in the city centre.
One of the city's most recent installations is a Holocaust memorial sculpture at King David High School, unveiled in May 2024. The sculpture consists of tiny metal figures based on photographs taken of the school's pupils during educational workshops about the Holocaust.
3. Edinburgh
Edinburgh takes third place on this list with over 87 permanent sculptures on display. The Scottish capital has made its mark on arts and culture with events such as the Edinburgh Art Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe. Popular sculptures in Edinburgh include statues of Greyfriars Bobby, William Wallace, and Wojtek the Soldier Bear.
One of Edinburgh’s most notable installations unveiled in the last year is a statue of Sherlock Holmes. The bronze sculpture, created as a tribute to author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was removed for renovation in 2018 and unveiled again in a ceremony in Picardy Place in September 2023.
4. Glasgow
Glasgow, in fourth place, is home to several cultural institutions, such as the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), which hosted a Banksy exhibition in 2023. Notable installations in Glasgow include a Duke of Wellington statue, a Homeless Jesus statue, and a statue of a citizen firefighter.
Most recently, in July 2023, a tree sculpture made of recycled metal, wood, and stone was unveiled in Glasgow's city centre. The installation incorporates imagery from the city crest, including a bird, a bell, and a fish—a reference to Glasgow’s patron, St. Mungo.
5. Birmingham
Birmingham rounds off the top five – beating booming arts and culture hubs such as York and Manchester. The city’s most famous sculptures and statues include the Three Wise Men and the Iron Man, both located in Ladywood, and Sentinel, a sculpture on Spitfire Island made using aluminium.
In October 2023, a sculpture named The Strength of the Hijab opened in the Smethwick area of Birmingham. The installation is believed to be one of the first in the world to pay tribute to women who wear the head covering.
WHY SUPPORT THE UK ARTS & CULTURE SCENE?
In 2022, it was reported that the creative sector employed around 2.4 million people and added £126bn in gross value to the UK economy. An Arts Council review also found that 32% of all visits to the UK involved tourists engaging with the arts and culture. These statistics show that the importance of the arts and culture industry should not be underestimated.
Arts and culture also have an invaluable impact on the general public’s health and well-being. Research has shown that children and young people involved in structured arts and culture programmes have improved cognitive abilities. Additionally, the arts have been proven to help those living with mental illness, acute conditions, and neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders.
DISCOVER A WORLD OF ARTS & CULTURE WITH METALS4U
We at metals4U are passionate about arts and culture. We often put our customer projects in the spotlight – these range from an aluminium Dalek to a magician’s plate spinning rack, and more! We have also previously sponsored Student Sculptor competitions.
If you’d like more information on how to begin your first project, contact us today, and one of our expert team members will be happy to help.
References:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68625041
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68577122
https://www.visitliverpool.com/listing/another-place-by-antony-gormley-at-crosby-beach/16098101/
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186525-Activities-c47-t26-Edinburgh_Scotland.html
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186534-Activities-c47-t26-Glasgow_Scotland.html
https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/contribution-of-the-arts-to-society-and-the-economy/#heading-3
The_value_of_arts_and_culture_to_people_and_society_an_evidence_review.pdf (artscouncil.org.uk)
