The universal language of emojis was born in Japan in 1997, starting with a set of 90 icons which have since developed into over 3,000 and growing. They’ve even been recognised by the Oxford Dictionary.
We’ve delved into the data to pinpoint which emojis are most used in each city*, to create an iconic guide to the UK. With pictures speaking a thousand words, it’s nice to know that the top used emoji in the UK is the ‘crying laughing face’ – which hopefully means we are a nation of comedians!
Looking for a good party? Head to Newcastle. Seeking love? Edinburgh’s your city! Need some sparkle in your life? Brighton’s coast is definitely the place. We didn’t stop there! To create the ultimate emoji location guide, we’ve pinpointed the top emojis for each city across emotion, food, sport, drink and gestures so you can gain an insight into cities around the UK. For example, Cardiff is the destination for you if you love rugby, beer and a laid-back vibe.
Emoji location guide: revealing the most popular emojis across the UK
Belfast
Don’t let the most used emoji in Belfast of a ‘face with rolling eyes’ fool you into thinking everyone is unimpressed, because there’s more than enough to be impressed with in this city. From the Titanic museum to the Castle and City Hall, this vibrant Irish capital has tons to offer.
Birmingham
Brighton
The year round, but especially in the summer, Brighton is a city that sparkles. From the sea to its biggest celebration of the year, Pride, Brighton has something for everyone. With so many places to get a great slice of pizza, be it sourdough, American style or vegan, it makes total sense for this quick and tasty food to be Brighton’s number one.
Cardiff
Somewhat surprisingly, Cardiff is a city of American Football lovers, with a sweet tooth and a penchant for some champagne and a cocktail. This eclectic mix of emojis mirror the sheer amount you can do in the city, from the sport to sights, nightlife and culture.
Edinburgh
With its cobbled streets, charming pubs and great walks, Edinburgh is arguably one of the most romantic cities in the UK and this shines through with the city’s most popular emojis. Edinburgh’s use of the love heart is head and shoulders above other cities in the UK, and the number one emotion is a face throwing a kiss. No surprise a tumbler of whiskey makes the list too!
Liverpool
With the city either red or blue with the support of Liverpool FC or Everton, Liverpool’s love of football is mirrored with that very symbol being the city’s most used sporting emoji. Stars such as Tony Bellew hail from the city too, which explains why the boxing emoji had to come in second place!
London
Cheeky Londoners favour a peach emoji over anything else, but popular culture and phrases suggest that this might not be because they’re a fan of the fruit! Aside from all the football on offer from the capital’s many top teams, the tennis ball emoji is widely used with the worldwide draw of Wimbledon being the obvious reason why.
Newcastle
Newcastle is one of the biggest and best party capitals in the whole of the UK, and it shines through with their constant use of the champagne emoji. There’s always a celebration in the city where looking good is also a top priority. The biceps emoji certain to be the emoji of choice for the city’s many gym buffs.
*Excluding some of the UK’s most used emojis to avoid multiple duplicates