How has Karl Bushby's home city changed over 28 years?

As Karl Bushby made his way through Hull for the first time since 1998, he got a little bit lost around Hessle Road.

"We've gone a little off route," he joked as he took a shortcut through Asda's car park – a supermarket that wasn't even built when he set off nearly three decades earlier.

It was the final few miles of an epic adventure that saw him walk more than 31,000 miles (58,000km) across four continents and swim the English Channel.

A few years after he set off, Hull was being touted as the worst city in the UK. But in 2025, it was crowned one of the world's most desirable tourist destinations by National Geographic.

So what has changed? And what sights can Bushby expect to enjoy as he takes a stroll much closer to home this time?

Now an unmistakable part of Hull's skyline, The Deep, designed by architect Sir Terence Farrell, opened to the public in 2002.

Home to sharks, sawfish, turtles, stingrays and penguins, the aquarium welcomes about 450,000 visitors a year.

Elsewhere in the city, in Queen Victoria Square, the Maritime Museum reopened in August following a £20m refurbishment, which had taken six years.

The centre of Hull has had a makeover, too, with new paving, fountains and lighting installed about a decade ago.

In December 2002, Hull's football and rugby stadium opened.

Costing about £44m to build, it was sponsored by telecoms company Kingston Communications and replaced Boothferry Park, the former home of Hull City, and The Boulevard, where Hull FC played.

Both clubs have faced some ups and downs over the past 28 years.

In 1998 Hull City were languishing at the lower end of the fourth tier of English football, but are now in the Premier League.

The city's rugby clubs have seen a few changes, too: Hull FC have won three Challenge Cups over the past three decades, but have been superseded more recently by rivals Hull KR, who won the quadruple in 2025-26.

In terms of the city's shopping district, the centre of the city has faced mixed fortunes since internet shopping gained traction.

While Hull gained St Stephen's shopping centre in a major redevelopment around Paragon Interchange in 2007, it lost many of its High Street names in subsequent years.

Department stores Hammonds, Debenhams and BHS have all gone, with Marks & Spencer leaving its Whitefriargate store in 2019.

Princes Quay would have been the city's top shopping destination in 1998, but it has struggled to retain retailers in recent years and a pivot to leisure outlets has included its previously popular top deck shopping area being turned into a cinema.

The possibility of bulldozing the shopping centre in decades to come has been mooted by the council.

Nevertheless, the city centre is already undergoing redevelopment, with a site being cleared for the Albion Square development, and apartment plans for the former Debenhams site.

While most of Hull's transport routes remain the same, recently completed work has transformed the main road heading east-west through the city.

The A63 Castle Street scheme includes a new underpass to reduce congestion in the city centre, while a footbridge now connects the Old Town to the Fruit Market – which in 1998 was home to the local fruit trade, but has now been redeveloped with a vibrant blend of homes, shops, offices, bars and restaurants.

In 1998, Hull band The Beautiful South topped the UK album chart with their sixth record, Quench, and single Perfect 10 graced the airwaves while going platinum.

The city remains a place with a strong musical heritage and it is currently vying to be crowned one of Unesco's Creative Cities of Music.

A new arena opened in Hull in 2018, with acts including Bob Dylan, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and Blondie gracing the stage.

In terms of theatres, Hull Truck moved from Spring Street to Ferensway in 2009, while the New Theatre had a major refurbishment in 2017. Hull is also now home to Middle Child Theatre.

One of the biggest changes has been the nightlife. While Hull's many historic pubs are still serving pints in the same way they did in 1998, many of the city's night clubs are no longer standing, with venues such as Heaven and Hell and Lexington Avenue long gone.

The city is now frequently home to Hollywood royalty, with Old Town becoming a popular filming destination, earning the nickname "Hullywood".

It means famous stars often head to the city – and with Karl Bushby's return, Hull is home to another notable name of its own.

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, and watch the latest episode of Look North.

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