AN UNLIKELY city in the UK has recently been named as one of the best places to live and it has plans to build a 4,000-capacity arena.
While Milton Keynes is usually known for having an odd amount of roundabouts, the Buckinghamshire city has a lot to offer.
And recently, The Times named the city as one of the coolest places to live, in particular for art geeks.
According to the publication, “Born in 1967, Milton Keynes is perhaps the best known of the much maligned postwar new towns.
“But the modernist playground is now a cultural hub with genuine clout.”
Artist Yinka Ilori, known for his bright and bold Nigerian-inspired patterns, recently revealed a new artwork in the city called Walk With Your Dreams, which is spread across the floor of Station Square.
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In fact, the city has more than 260 artworks to explore.
And the city could soon see a huge new development as well, in the form of a £76million, 4,000-capacity arena.
The arena, which would be built on the site of the Old Bus Station in Elder Gate, would be used for a variety of events including concerts and live shows.
The arena would be a project by the Milton Keynes Development Partnership (MKDP) and ATG Entertainment – which are known for running other entertainment venues such as the Manchester Opera House.
The hope is that once it opens the arena would host around 100 events each year and attract more than 300,000 people.
If plans are approved, the arena could open as soon as 2029.
In the meantime, there is still lots of spots to discover in the city.
For history lovers and those who have dreamt of being a spy, head to Bletchley Park, which used to be a top-secret home during World War II for codebreakers.
Today, members of the public can visit the park, learn about the different Codebreaking Huts, see wartime blocks, and enjoy the beautiful Victorian estate that the house is set in.
It costs £28 per adult to visit, or £19.50 for children aged between 12 and 17 years old.
Kids under 12 go free and if taking kids, make sure to pick up one of the Top Secret Mission Packs for a quid that includes puzzles and challenges for them to crack.
The city is also home to Snozone, which won a Travellers‘ Choice Award for 2025.
The indoor ski slope is great for fun days out and polishing your skills before heading off on a ski trip.
The slope measures 170 metres long and visitors can choose between lessons and freestyle sessions.
If you are wanting some family fun, then head to Gulliver’s Land – a theme park for children aged between three -year -old and 13.
Main attractions in the theme park include the Runway Train, Jungle River Ride and a log flume.
Tickets cost £26 per person, but for children under 90cm tall – they go free.
Assistant showbiz editor (features), Amanda Devlin, lives in Milton Keynes and said: “Head over towards the unusual building, Xscape for everything you could imagine under one roof.
“Learn how to ski, try indoor skydiving, go bowling, see what’s on at the cinema, hit the arcade, practice your rock climbing, have fun on the trampolines, break out of escape rooms or even have a flutter at the casino.
“Then opposite Xscape, there’s fancier eateries on 12th Street.
“Have dinner at Revolución de Cuba or drinks at Fourteen – a stunning skyline bar on the top floor of Hotel La Tour – before catching a show at Milton Keynes Theatre.
“As one of the region’s leading live entertainment venues, it showcases the best West End and touring productions like The Rocky Horror Show and Kinky Boots for locals to enjoy.
“Or, of course, locals can head to Stadium MK, the home of MK Dons FC – the stadium hosted the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and welcomes the likes of Take That and Rod Stewart to the 30,500-seat venue.
“For other fun family activities there’s Willen Lake for water sports – and animal lovers have on their doorsteps Woburn Safari Park, as well as Woburn Abbey with its 3,000-acre deer park.
“If heritage and art walks aren’t your thing, a country pub crawl along the canal towpath – from the Warbler on the Wharf to the Black Horse – might pique your interest.”
Milton Keynes is just 40 minutes from London and 30 minutes from London Luton Airport.
If looking for a hotel, there is plenty of choice with a room at the DoubleTree by Hilton Milton Keynes costing you as little as £54 per night.
Also on The Times’ list is an under-the-radar seaside village that’s one of the coolest places in the UK – with £2.50 pints and beach saunas.
Plus, the pretty English town with one of the most beautiful streets in the UK.