Swansea was one of the top three in a Sunday Times list of the 20 places that are on the up in 2025, thanks to a combination of major regeneration schemes, strong culture and hardworking communities.

The Sunday Times points to regeneration schemes like the Swansea Building Society Arena, which was developed by Swansea Council and part-funded by the Swansea Bay City Deal.

The arena, says the newspaper, has added extra cultural clout to a city that already includes the Grand Theatre and Brangwyn Hall, along with energetic grassroots theatre, art and music scenes.

They add that the arena has been a big part of recent efforts to make the most of Swansea’s waterfront, where people can stroll, jog or cycle all the way from the Maritime Quarter to Mumbles without having to cross a road. The Sunday Times also references the introduction of the market garden space at Swansea Market to boost the visitor experience there.

Councillor Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, said: “A regeneration programme worth over £1 billion is ongoing in Swansea to make our city one of Britain’s best places to live, work, study, enjoy, visit and invest, so it’s very encouraging to see this work recognised by The Sunday Times.

“As well as the Swansea Building Society Arena and Swansea Market, a huge number of other schemes are either complete or planned here to further boost the local economy and create jobs for local people.

“This is a testament to the close partnership working between the council, the private sector and other organisations which have come together and are working to the same goals to benefit Swansea residents, Swansea businesses and visitors to the city.”

Swansea is the only Welsh place to make the top 15 in the Sunday Times list.

Other places across the UK to make the top 20 include Portsmouth, Derby and Chester.