London ranks 25th in UK ‘glamour’ study despite huge Instagram popularity

By Fatos Jashari
Contributor
Published 18th Mar 2026, 14:47 GMT
Updated 19th Mar 2026, 10:32 GMT
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User (UGC) Submitted

From designer shopping sprees to last-minute blow-dries and spa days, glamour in the UK isn’t just reserved for red carpets. Across the country, everyday life is increasingly shaped by access to beauty services, wellness trends, and fashion culture, whether that’s a city buzzing with events or one where self-care options are few and far between.

A new study by BestWallClock Archive has revealed exactly where glamour thrives across the UK. The research analysed 59 cities, ranking them based on six key lifestyle indicators: the number of shopping centres, hair and beauty salons, spas, and fashion and beauty events per capita, alongside Instagram popularity and demand for yoga and Pilates. Each metric was weighted to create an overall “glamour score.”

London ranks 25th overall, scoring 28.71 in the study, showing that even the capital isn’t immune to tough competition when it comes to everyday glamour. With 0.10 shopping malls per 10,000 people, the city ranks 55th in this category, and 9.28 hair and beauty salons per 10,000 residents, putting it 37th in the study. Spas are limited, at 0.45 per 10,000 people, ranking 57th, and fashion and beauty events stand at 1.86 per 10,000 residents, landing London 56th.

However, London’s Instagram popularity is off the charts at 5,198.69, ranking first in the study, proving the city’s glamour is highly visible online. Search interest for yoga and Pilates studios is 385.87, ranking 26th, showing wellness still plays a role but doesn’t dominate the scene.

Living in London means glamour is often about what you share and see online rather than what’s right around the corner. While the city may not lead in local salons or events per capita, the capital’s global reputation, culture, and Instagram presence keep it firmly on the glam map.

The top 10 cities in the study still outshine London in day-to-day style and wellness, with Manchester, Canterbury, Salford, Newcastle upon Tyne, Lichfield, Chester, Bath, Stirling, Oxford, and Wakefield combining salons, spas, fashion events, and yoga interest to create more balanced glamour experiences.

At the other end, cities like Stoke-on-Trent, Preston, Sunderland, Newport, and Nottingham show the least glamour in everyday life, with fewer beauty and wellness options, lower social media engagement, and limited local fashion activity.

List of the most glamorous cities:

Rank City Shopping mall locations per 10,000 people Hairdressing and beauty salons businesses per 10,000 people Spas per 10,000 people Fashion and beauty events per 10,000 people Instagram popularity Search interest for yoga and Pilates studios Total Score
1 Manchester 0.68 11.38 1.72 9.61 3,975.48 608.32 58.86
2 Canterbury 0.18 21.72 5.07 12.67 981.17 353.01 54.60
3 Salford 0.41 24.74 2.06 6.87 578.69 931.96 54.19
4 Newcastle upon Tyne 0.57 16.11 2.70 10.40 131.15 630.52 52.58
5 Lichfield 0.30 27.37 2.13 4.56 231.16 924.66 49.37
6 Chester 0.22 32.59 2.21 6.63 722.46 468.38 47.41
7 Bath 0.21 14.77 3.69 9.50 1,041.97 625.65 47.03
8 Stirling 0.55 19.21 2.20 4.12 225.03 691.55 45.82
9 Oxford 0.58 4.96 2.51 10.50 93.07 416.03 41.17
10 Wakefield 0.38 31.02 1.52 3.17 207.65 333.00 40.07
11 Wrexham 0.76 15.22 1.07 2.28 267.92 392.74 37.76
12 Leeds 0.62 13.51 1.10 5.27 840.23 339.69 37.54
13 Lancaster 0.42 18.02 2.12 2.12 451.63 557.65 37.49
14 Winchester 0.22 18.45 1.95 4.34 677.17 644.62 36.88
15 Glasgow City 0.63 10.82 1.01 5.41 987.63 371.86 36.85
16 Brighton and Hove 0.05 9.81 2.24 8.40 1,326.58 548.62 33.03
17 City of Edinburgh 0.41 8.71 1.40 6.45 1,015.29 395.06 32.90
18 Aberdeen City 0.81 7.88 0.92 3.05 209.03 231.35 31.77
19 Derry 0.60 11.95 1.20 2.99 276.14 317.98 31.46
20 Exeter 0.51 7.64 1.87 5.94 507.80 225.88 31.31
21 Perth 0.21 19.08 1.91 3.18 209.83 451.46 30.97
22 Belfast 0.47 10.19 1.53 4.73 296.39 261.31 29.46
23 Hereford 0.33 17.38 1.32 2.48 145.66 418.77 29.40
24 Carlisle 0.13 29.31 1.53 3.82 158.02 90.48 29.14
25 London 0.10 9.28 0.45 1.86 5,198.69 385.87 28.71
26 Bristol 0.42 5.43 0.89 3.24 844.90 334.53 23.83
27 Birmingham 0.35 8.48 0.71 2.54 415.19 437.86 22.99
28 Tunbridge Wells 0.15 11.61 1.60 3.63 416.49 338.12 22.51
29 Cambridge 0.13 4.73 2.52 7.57 835.93 95.94 22.48
30 Chelmsford 0.18 11.66 1.43 3.59 285.62 327.32 22.29
31 York 0.13 9.43 1.89 5.85 547.76 173.70 22.02
32 Doncaster 0.32 15.49 0.89 2.53 125.20 142.91 21.73
33 Lisburn 0.26 14.19 1.16 1.94 159.99 264.50 21.63
34 Norwich 0.23 5.86 1.22 5.16 505.43 295.08 21.19
35 Dundee City 0.34 9.14 1.02 2.37 285.02 282.31 21.02
36 Colchester 0.25 11.08 1.48 2.87 280.65 208.44 20.83
37 Worcester 0.20 9.34 1.08 2.46 211.49 352.16 18.83
38 Derby 0.07 6.84 0.74 1.85 3,588.37 161.57 18.74
39 Milton Keynes 0.26 8.92 1.04 3.91 67.02 132.21 17.79
40 Portsmouth 0.15 8.24 1.18 3.61 68.30 313.16 17.71
41 Lincoln 0.26 6.53 1.04 2.61 265.50 236.77 16.87
42 Bradford 0.27 11.36 0.74 2.00 148.91 122.95 16.29
43 Southampton 0.20 6.50 1.22 3.66 91.92 150.69 15.29
44 Liverpool 0.19 5.44 0.52 2.55 1,497.11 162.59 14.77
45 Cardiff 0.18 6.60 1.01 3.58 248.59 137.94 14.21
46 Peterborough 0.06 9.79 1.04 2.14 168.93 299.92 14.14
47 Coventry 0.22 5.29 0.70 2.51 51.33 248.84 13.39
48 Gloucester 0.20 6.33 1.00 2.00 161.94 146.61 12.44
49 Plymouth 0.12 5.57 0.81 1.92 66.52 323.59 11.75
50 Wolverhampton 0.12 8.11 0.55 1.98 37.70 208.08 10.80
51 Swansea 0.20 7.32 0.53 1.33 45.85 148.83 10.48
52 Sheffield 0.10 5.69 0.64 2.63 105.16 118.62 8.54
53 Leicester 0.12 4.91 0.63 2.75 141.32 91.37 8.18
54 Southend-on-Sea 0.07 6.10 0.64 1.35 48.80 174.39 7.10
55 Nottingham 0.19 2.95 0.52 2.19 173.69 41.78 6.95
56 Newport 0.16 3.75 0.36 0.98 243.64 36.50 4.82
57 Sunderland 0.03 6.56 0.54 1.49 50.68 68.87 4.52
58 Preston 0.10 3.03 0.45 0.96 50.59 120.00 3.72
59 Stoke-on-Trent 0.05 4.69 0.35 0.80 25.51 124.47 3.26
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