Paris is the Best City in the World for Culture right now, according to locals whose survey ratings were combined with insights from Time Out’s experts to create this definitive annual list.
An impressive 96% of Parisians rated their city’s cultural offering as either ‘good’ or ‘amazing’ in this year’s survey, with Time Out’s global network of local experts ranking it their joint top city for culture, too. The French capital has long stood at the forefront of the global arts scene, home to the Louvre - the world’s largest and most visited museum - as well as iconic institutions like the Musée d’Orsay, Palais de Tokyo and the Pinault Collection at the Bourse de Commerce. Locals highlighted all of these in their responses , as well as a packed calendar of cultural events, from the city-wide Fête de la Musique to La Villette’s open-air film festival, Cinéma en Plein Air. This is alongside stunning exhibitions including David Hockney 25 and From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce&Gabbana.
To compile the list, Time Out – the global brand that inspires and enables people to experience the best of the city – used two data sources. First, more than 18,500 people around the world were surveyed about culture in their city. Each city was then ranked according to how locals rated the quality and affordability of its culture scene. They were also asked about the cultural venues, events and festivals they love the most in their hometown. This data was then combined with scores from a panel of Time Out culture experts – Time Out’s global network of city editors and culture experts – who voted for their favourite destinations. To ensure the list reflects cultural cities globally, only the highest-scoring cities for each country were included on the longlist.
Grace Beard, Travel Editor at Time Out said: “Time Out’s annual ranking of the world’s best cities for culture is the definitive travel guide for those seeking a cultural city break where experiencing art in all its forms is affordable and accessible. Informed by the insights of 18,500 city-dwellers and a panel of Time Out experts, this list reflects the global destinations where art and culture isn’t confined to mammoth museums and major arts venues (though there are plenty of those). Think pop-up festivals in unlikely locations, late-night museum parties, and a new class of creatives pushing the boundaries of performing arts. Each of these 20 cities has a lively programme of cultural events alongside legacy institutions for the arts – that’s why they’re the cultural capitals of today.”
Here are the top 10 of Time Out’s Best Cities for Culture in 2025 – find the full list of 20 here: timeout.com/travel/worlds-best-cities-for-culture
- Paris, France
2025 is a big year for Paris museums, from the reopening of the Grand Palais with a stunning exhibition from Dolce & Gabbana to the temporary closure of the Centre Pompidou, bowing out with Paris Noir, an ode to France’s Black artists in the late twentieth century. In the city of light, its arts scene is embracing after-hours culture, with museums leaning into late-night events, including at David Hockney 25 and at the Nuit des Musées in May, where a number of museums will mix culture, music and light late into the night.
- Florence, Italy
Florence’s culture scene is a melting pot of Renaissance splendour and cutting-edge culture, including Tracey Emin’s exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi, open-air movies at Villa Vardini and contemporary dance in a Roman amphitheatre. Florence received the second-highest number of votes from Time Out’s arts and culture experts, while 73% of locals said the scene was top notch.
- Edinburgh, UK
Best known to some for the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival, this Scottish city is also home to brilliant museums, a rich literary history and electric live music. But, just when you think you’ve seen it all, something new comes along – like the buzzing Days Festival, back for a second year this May with its underground dance lineup. Europe’s first museum of contemporary Palestinian art also opens its doors, while Chappell Roan lights up the Summer Sessions with her only UK gigs beyond Reading and Leeds.
- Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City blends old and new like nowhere else, with free festivals filling up the calendar almost every weekend, alongside long-standing traditions like Dia De Los Muertos. From Museums Month to the Open House fiesta in May, plus contemporary dance at UNAM and the Zócalo Book Fair in October, CDMX is a culture lover’s dream.
- Sydney, Australia
Sydney might be well known for its harbours and beaches, but it also has a thriving arts scene, featuring everything from world-class exhibitions, dazzling musicals and blockbuster exhibitions to drag shows on bartops and indie theatre in pub basements - all of which impressed Time Out’s culture experts, who gave it top marks alongside Paris. The Sydney Theatre Company was the birthplace of the current Broadway hit The Picture of Dorian Gray, whilst smaller, indie venues like the Old Fitz are busy producing the next generation.
- Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona’s culture scene is vibrant and loud, featuring festivals with a global audience like Sónar and Primavera Sound to intimate performances at smaller venues like the recently revived El Molino. Whilst only 50% of respondents said the culture scene was always affordable, there are a number of inspiring free cultural events year-round, including free-to-enter galleries like Chiquita Room, Bombon Projects and FUGA and events like Llum BCN, the 48H Open House and Architecture Weeks.
- Chicago, USA
Chicago’s skyline is iconic, but its streets are where the real art show happens. From ART on the MART’s dazzling building projections to Carmen Winant’s moving montages in bus shelters and on newsstands, as part of the Public Art Fund, the city itself becomes the canvas. Music festivals take on all shapes and sizes in the city, from neighbourhood hangouts to the world-famous Lollapalooza.
- Lisbon, Portugal
2025 sees Lisbon’s art scene booming, with many bold new museums opening in the past year including the sleek, award-winning CAM; the Albuquerque Foundation which is home to one of the world’s biggest private collections of imported Chinese porcelain; and MACAM, which features a chapel-turned-bar and hotel.
- Hanoi, Vietnam
Hanoi was voted the most affordable city for culture by locals, and its youthful energy pulses through buzzing venues and ancient alleyways alike. In the Old Quarter, traditional instruments get a modern twist, while Hanoi Rock City hosts the city’s rising music stars. Fashion labels like Kilomet109 turn heritage textiles into couture, and just outside the city, the now-iconic Equation Festival throws a rave deep inside a mountain cave.
- Cape Town, South Africa
Topping Time Out’s list of best cities in the world earlier this year, Cape Town was sure to feature on the list of best cities for culture, too. 89% of Capetonians said the city’s culture scene was high quality, and with powerful new art spaces like Dweba Art & Cafe opening, and hit stage shows like Dear Evan Hansen, it’s not a surprise. First Thursdays, the city’s beloved monthly gallery night, has expanded its reach to Stellenbosch, and there’s always something to do or see with the whole family at the Iziko South African Museum.
- Beijing, China
- Tbilisi, Georgia
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Delhi, India
- Medellin, Colombia
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Marrakech, Morocco
- Vienna, Austria
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Abu Dhabi, UAE