London is just Time Out’s best city for culture.
The British capital received a good score after taking into account the opinions of over 24,000 urbanites who were surveyed around the world, for its theatre scene and its museums and galleries.
Of the top 20, nine of the cities are in Europe, six of which are in the top ten.
Grace Beard, travel editor at Time Out, added that “all of the cities that made the list this year are home to legendary museums and a booming performing arts scene, and the calendar of exhibitions, festivals and events is packed to capacity.
“Time Out’s experts on the ground have shared their lowdown on the cultural highlights not to miss this year with travellers to provide a definitive guide to where to go and what to see in 2026.”
The world’s best cities for culture
No.1: London
London has been named the top city for culture due to a range of new openings picked out by Time Out’s experts, according to the publication.
This includes the opening of V&A East and V&A East Storehouse, and the restoration of the new V&A in London’s Smithfield later this year.
Other attractions of the culture are the West End, free comedy, and the variety of live music, from avant-garde jazz to death metal.
A high proportion of residents (some 90 per cent) described the theatre scene as a thumbs up, 88 per cent of residents felt the same way about the museums, and a further 81 per cent gave the thumbs up to the city’s galleries.
No.2: Paris
Only the capital of France, Paris, achieved a perfect score for culture, with 100% of people there raving about the area’s culture.
The major exhibitions this year, such as Matisse at the Grand Palais and One Hundred Years of Art Deco at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, were among the reasons to visit the city that Time Out’s team named.
No.4: Berlin
“Going against the grain defines culture in Berlin and the city is still a hotbed for radical artistic expression in 2026,” Time Out said of the German capital in its ranking.
It’s a thing to witness at events such as Rave the Planet, Christopher Street Day, May Day, Karneval der Kulturen and Fête de la Musique.
Other attractions to see include the Berlinale, Berlin Art Week and the International Literature Festival, among others, and the 200th anniversary celebrations at Museum Island.
Over half of the respondents classified the art scene as inexpensive, and 70% of them praised its museums for being exceptionally brilliant.
No.8: Madrid
The Spanish capital boasts cultural highlights such as the Prado and Reina Sofía, along with the highly acclaimed festivals, that make it “one of Europe’s leading cultural destinations”.
91% of respondents found the arts and culture scene to be good or amazing, 90% gave the thumbs up to the museums, and 84% clapped for the theatre.
No.9: Florence
Florence is famous for its Renaissance art and architecture, and is an “open-air museum” that has long been a favourite of history buffs.
Major exhibitions this year, including Palazzo Strozzi’s Mark Rothko retrospective, are the main reason for a visit (or a revisit) this year.
78% of residents love the museums, 63% love the galleries, and 72% state that the arts scene is affordable, according to the results of the survey.
No.10: Kraków
Kraków is Poland’s second-largest city, but a city brimming with culture.
In the Old Town, you can enjoy Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance architecture, visit the city’s art scene at the Czartoryski Museum and Wawel Castle, and attend festivals, such as the Jewish Culture Festival.
The survey shows that 86% of the residents like the art and culture scene, and 79% feel it is affordable.
Outside of the top 10, Copenhagen came in 13th, followed by Athens in 15th and Lisbon in 20th.
The full top 20 ranking based on Time Out
- London
- Paris
- New York City
- Berlin
- Cape Town
- Melbourne
- São Paulo
- Madrid
- Florence
- Kraków
- Taipei
- Marrakech
- Copenhagen
- Guadalajara
- Athens
- Cairo
- Beijing
- Jaipur
- Chiang Mai
- Lisbon
