Manchester is among the UK’s top hotspots for UFO sightings, with 78 estimated sightings in recent years.

It comes in fourth place nationally, just behind Cambridge, Brighton, and Middlesbrough, in a new ranking compiled by Canada Sports Betting.

The data, covering 2020 to 2024, is based on 78 estimated sightings near Manchester, which translates to 141 per million residents.

The findings are based on a combination of freedom of information (FOI) requests to police forces and social media data.

Cambridge topped the UK list with the highest per capita rate at 153 sightings per million residents, while London ranked lowest with just 11 sightings per million.

A spokesperson said: “London at 25th of 25 is a mathematical certainty.

“Nearly nine million residents absorb any volume of sightings.

“The same dynamic plays out in Toronto and California.

“The biggest city always finishes near the bottom of a per-person table.”

In Manchester, the five-year odds of witnessing a UFO sighting are calculated at one in 7,093, with a lifetime chance of 0.23 per cent.

The data is part of a broader look at trends in unexplained aerial phenomena across urban areas in the UK.

The findings also underline broader trends seen in large cities worldwide, where higher populations appear to dilute per-capita sightings regardless of total reports.

The results offer a snapshot of public engagement with the unexplained—and suggest that, for many cities, the possibility of a UFO encounter remains firmly within the realm of the everyday.

Source: Messenger Newspapers