Sydney has made the top 25 best cities in the world, according to Time Out surveys of 24,000 locals

Time Out’s Best Cities list is a renowned guide that celebrates the places that locals genuinely love right now, based on surveys of 24,000 city-dwellers and a panel of 100 Time Out experts from around the world – and Sydney has just made the list of top 25 cities for 2026.

Sydney has placed number 21 on the list, in recognition of the city being a great place to live and visit, relative to other places around the world. The city was recognised for its diversity, excellent food and cultural scenes, ever-expanding public transport system and easy access to adventures in nature.

Time Out surveyed more than 24,000 locals in 42 languages about where they live. Questions covered topics including food, nightlife and culture to affordability, happiness and the overall city vibe. A panel of more than 100 Time Out city experts from around the world were also asked to name the most exciting cities in the world right now. All data from 44 different criteria was combined to create the ranking.

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In even bigger news for Australia, Melbourne has taken the top spot on the list. Melbourne locals highly rated their hometown’s food, culture and art scenes, as well as its green spaces, neighbourhood communities, walkability, public transport and more. It also scored very highly for criteria including diversity, liveliness, cultural activities, affordability of going out and how well it caters to Gen Z.

Adelaide made the list of top 30 cities, thanks to being one of the world’s best festival cities, as well as boasting excellent dining and drinking options, walkability and beautiful day trips.  

Time Out Managing Director APAC Kaylie Smith is really pleased with the results. “Australia having three cities in the 2026 list is a reminder that although the world is going through challenging times, this country is an exceptional place to live and visit.

“Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide are places where you can experience extraordinary food, festivals and culture, but also find joy in everyday life. That’s something you can’t take for granted.”

Of course, no place is perfect, but the results demonstrate that Sydney has a lot going for it, outranking well-loved cities including Paris, Singapore and Berlin. Time Out editors noted that while Sydney is renowned for its natural beauty, if you peel back the layers that make it one of the prettiest cities in the world – the harbour, beaches, bushwalks – you’ll find a trove of qualities that cement Sydney as one of the most exciting places for dining and culture, too.

With about 40 per cent of the city’s population having been born overseas, restaurants span every cuisine – executed with finesse. Hop from Thaitown to Chinatown to Koreatown in a single night. Or head to cool inner-west ’hood Marrickville, which is home to both Little Greece and Little Vietnam (as well as craft brewery and distillery trails). Massive art festival the Biennale of Sydney – named the best exhibition in the world for 2026 – runs from this month until June for three months. Winter kicks off with Vivid Sydney, one of the world’s largest light festivals. And in spring, the Sculpture by the Sea and Cherry Blossom festivals are colourful spectacles.  

Here’s the top 30 of Time Out’s best cities in the world for 2026:

1. Melbourne, Australia
2. Shanghai, China
3. Edinburgh, United Kingdom
4. London, United Kingdom
5. New York, United States
6. Cape Town, South Africa
7. Mexico City, Mexico
8. Bangkok, Thailand
9. Seoul, South Korea
10. Tokyo, Japan
11. Zurich, Switzerland
12. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
13. Copenhagen, Denmark
14. Sao Paolo, Brazil
15. Hong Kong, Hong Kong
16. Krakow, Poland
17. Porto, Portugal
18. Guadalajara, Mexico
19. Madrid, Spain
20. Valencia, Spain
21. Sydney, Australia
22. Paris, France
23. Singapore, Singapore
24. Marrakesh, Morocco
25. Hanoi, Vietnam
26. Bath, United Kingdom
27. Bilbao, Spain
28. Berlin, Germany
29. Adelaide, Australia
30. Beijing, China

The full list of Time Out’s 50 Best Cities 2026 can be found over here.

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