![\"Contemporary](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/London-art-exhibit-e1780575068347.jpg\")
\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\tThursday 04 June 2026 1:13 pm
\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Updated:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\t\tThursday 04 June 2026 1:17 pm\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
London has been named the best city in the world for culture \u2013 it should be creative industries\u2019 first choice, writes WPP Media UK CEO Kate Rowlinson <\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I love London Society! I think it has immensely improved. It is entirely composed now of beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics. Just what Society should be.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
So said Oscar Wilde<\/a>\u2019s character Mabel Chiltern in An Ideal Husband, signalling the eccentricity and creativity that defines much of London\u2019s artistic output. London has always divided opinion. Some will see it as too crowded, while others will enjoy the vibrancy of a crowd. Lately, however, the rhetoric has amped up \u2013 with many outside London seeing online videos and discussions that create an idea of a city in decline. This, naturally, can start to impact business decision-makers who are considering where to invest, expand or launch.\u00a0<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not all doom and gloom for the capital city. On the contrary, its rich culture has recently been recognised, with London named the best city in the world<\/a> for culture. And yes, Paris and New York were also in the running.\u00a0<\/p>\n Londoners are UK\u2019s biggest optimists<\/p>\n When we surveyed 10,000 Brits in a WPP study called Shaping the Nation<\/a> around how location impacts identity, Londoners were the most likely to report a positive outlook on life out of any region in the UK. London gets a lot of investment and I am mindful this will likely impact a positive outlook score versus other parts of the UK. Unquestionably, however, there is much to love about London.<\/p>\n Like many \u201cLondoners\u201d, I hail from outside the city, in my case, Warrington. The creative output across Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Edinburgh and countless other British cities is ignored at your peril. But having lived for more than 20 years in London working as part of the advertising industry, I want to combat the message of negativity that seems to have some traction around the city. I get to see its fantastic creativity exhibited daily. Starting with Transport for London on my way to work \u2013 like their partnership with Warburtons bringing<\/a> Morgan Freeman\u2019s voice to \u201cBakers\u201d Street, showing the powerful creativity that can delight us in a normal day. In the evening, I can visit an exhibition in the Barbican or go to a performance in the basement of a city pub. There\u2019s so much to be inspired by every day, everywhere in London.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Creatives: set up here!<\/p>\n That\u2019s why I believe those in the creative industries \u2013 from arts through to entertainment to advertising \u2013 should continue to invest in London as a critical geography in global creativity. Already, 13 per cent of all jobs in London <\/a>are in the creative industries, making the city a magnet for international creatives looking to apply their skills. The creative industries are a key economic contributor in the UK, providing 2.4m jobs and acting as a key export. In fact, they are delivering four times the economic growth versus the economy as a whole in the UK, according to<\/a> the DCMS. This industry is not in decline, and nor is London.\u00a0<\/p>\n I urge those considering new ventures, or who wish to grow their international footprint, to consider London \u2013 the city of creativity and culture.<\/p>\n Our business has done exactly that. At WPP Media we unveiled our new 3,000 person strong office in Southwark last year. This new hub space has empowered us to work more collaboratively and creatively, and it represents our investment into the city itself. And it\u2019s not just us. Tech companies like Microsoft and OpenAI have announced new office spaces in the city, while Marlow Studios, just outside London, will represent a \u00a31bn <\/a>investment into film studios near the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n Perhaps it\u2019s all those \u201cbrilliant lunatics\u201d espoused by Oscar Wilde. Perhaps it\u2019s the draw London holds on a more international set of creatives. Whatever the reason, London will always be a key home for creatives, and for creativity. As such, creative businesses are at home here, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kate Rowlinson is the CEO of WPP Media UK<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n