University tower with the Southside of the city in the background

Glasgow named UK’s top cultural and creative city

Glasgow has been named the UK’s top cultural and creative city in a report from the European Commission.   

The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor evaluated how well 190 cities in 30 European countries perform on a range of measures including cultural vibrancy, creative economy and the enabling environment.  

Glasgow also placed first in Europe for openness, tolerance and trust – a position that reinforces the City’s award-winning brand message People Make Glasgow.  

Providing context to the report, Professor Murray Pittock, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University said: “Adjusted for population, more than twice as many people visit a museum or gallery in Glasgow compared to London, while 40% more visit theatres and the cinema.  

“Glasgow's status as a UNESCO World City of Music is reflected in the fact that we have a larger number of concerts per head of population than London, while our citizens are 50% more likely than Londoners to be impressed with our city's cultural facilities.    

“The University of Glasgow invests significantly in cultural and creative economies so it's great to see our city get this recognition.” 

Glasgow is a place where exciting things happen. It’s a place that makes exciting things happen. And now’s a great time to be here.

First published January 2020.