Cities have a reputation for being unfriendly. There’s a sense that everyone seems hurried and impatient, no one makes eye contact and no one has any interest in making small talk with a stranger. But we’re here to debunk that myth. Once you get to know a city, you’ll quickly find that its full of friendly faces, welcoming communities and warm hospitality.
As part of Time Out’s annual best cities survey, we asked city natives across the world whether they would describe their hometown as ‘welcoming and friendly’. We collected answers from more than 18,500 urban residents and used them to compile our list of the top 20 friendliest cities on the planet – and three UK cities were among them.
Brighton
Brighton came out as the sixth friendliest city in the world in our survey. The coastal city is particularly known for its LGBTQ scene (it’s not called the UK’s Gay Capital for nothing) and as local Liv Kelly puts it, for having an ethos of ‘ensuring people feel welcome, and most essentially, have fun’. Brighton’s geniality is probably helped by the fact that it’s also one of the most content cities out there. Our survey found that it’s the 11th happiest city in the world right now and the number one happiest in the UK, as well as the world’s third most diverse and inclusive city and the only British city named one of the best on the planet for nightlife.
Explore the all of the best restaurants, bars, hotels and more that Brighton has to offer here.
Belfast
You can always count on good old Irish charm – Belfast was voted the 10th friendliest city in the world. Sixty-one percent of locals told us that they would describe the Northern Irish capital as welcoming and friendly, and over half said that it’s easy to meet new people there.
Local expert Yvonne Gordon wrote: ‘From its history of shipbuilding to its lively pub scene and famous murals, Belfast draws visitors for its culture, heritage and hospitality.’ To get a proper taste of that warm hospitality, we recommend checking out what’s on at the Oh Yeah Music Centre or the famous Ulster Hall, taking a Black Taxi tour of the political murals or getting food at The Muddlers Club or The Ginger Bistro – two of our favourite restaurants in the city.
Discover the best of Belfast here.
Glasgow
Just like the Irish, Scots are famed for their gregariousness. So, landing in 14th place on our roundup of the world’s friendliest cities was Glasgow. Alongside Brighton, Glasgow was the only other UK city to make it into the top 20 happiest cities in the world, and, of course, happy people usually make for friendly people. If you’re keen to strike up conversations with the convivial locals, head straight for one of the city’s best pubs or bars, such as Nice N Sleazy, The Belle or The Laurieston.
Find out how to make the most of Glasgow here.
See Time Out’s full list of the world’s friendliest cities here.
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