Half of Sheffield feels less festive this Christmas, new survey finds - full list of ‘glum’ cities

Even though Christmas is fast approaching, only half of Sheffield’s population is in the holiday spirit. According to new data by Virgin Experience Days, Sheffield, along with other northern cities, is still waiting for the Christmas spirit to arrive, with only 50% more excited than last year.

Virgin Experience Days, the UK’s leading provider of gift experiences, said the survey captures the mood of Brits and how they are feeling towards Christmas this year after two years of disrupted celebrations. Although the pandemic is already a thing of the past, the survey found Sheffield has still not wholeheartedly embraced the holiday season, along with Plymouth (50%), Brighton, Liverpool, and Norwich. Meanwhile, the cities that are least looking forward to Christmas are Newcastle (39%) and Edinburgh (37%).

In contrast, 61% of Londoners say they are looking forward to the Christmas break more than they did last year. Second and third place go to Birmingham (60%) and Southampton (56%), respectively, illustrating a north/south divide. The study was conducted in the UK’s most populous cities, with a nationally representative sample of 2,001 people equally weighted across the cities studied.

Richard Hurd-Wood, CEO of Virgin Experience Days, said: “The pandemic created two very strange Christmases, so it’s no surprise to see many people looking forward to the festive period more than last year – but there are some big regional disparities.

“Despite the cost-of-living crisis, gifting is still a huge priority for people, with most Christmas budgets going towards treating families and friends. This is good news for the economy – and hopefully lots of small businesses and suppliers around the country who rely on Christmas for trade, including our 1,500 suppliers and experience providers.

“At Virgin Experience Days we are committed to helping people find the perfect gift for their loved ones. There is clearly an appetite for gifts that allow people to spend time together while we make up for the past two years – especially during Christmas.” The full list of cities, from most festive to least festive, is shown below.

The most festive cities in the UK for Christmas

1. London (61%)

2.       Birmingham (60%)

3.       Southampton (56%)

4.       Manchester (54%)

5.       Nottingham (53%)

6.       Leeds (52%)

7.       Cardiff (52%)

8.       Plymouth (50%)

9.       Brighton (50%)

10.   Sheffield (50%)

11.   Liverpool (50%)

12.   Norwich (50%)

13.   Bristol (49%)

14.   Glasgow (48%)

15.   Belfast (47%)

16.   Newcastle (39%)

17.   Edinburgh (37%)