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At Time Out, we know better than anyone that cities are constantly evolving. We also know that no one knows a city better than the people that live and breathe it every single day. So, for the last decade, we’ve called up the urban dwellers of the world and asked them to tell us about their hometowns. Are they happy? How do they rate the restaurants? Are there enough cultural offerings? What do they think of the green spaces? That sort of stuff. This year, one British city claimed bronze.
For 2026, more than 24,000 people got back to us to gave us insights into life in their city. We then combined those insights with the expertise of our global network of editors to create Time Out's Best Cities with Intrepid Travel 2026. After Melbourne in first place and Shanghai in second, the Scottish capital Edinburgh landed in third.
The city got the joint-highest score in the world for walkability as well as top marks for food (receiving a 94 percent approval rating), public transport (92 percent) green spaces (91 percent) and culture (90 percent). Its residents are among the happiest that we surveyed this year – 91 percent told us that they find joy in their everyday experiences and agreed that their city makes them happy.
Edinburgh local and Time Out contributor Chiara Wilkinson said that ‘Edinburgh takes everything that makes life worth living and turns the dial up several notches’, with every neighbourhood excelling in something different. There’s Stockbridge for independent boutiques, Morningside for cute coffee shops, Cowgate for nightlife and Leith for brilliant new restaurants (like sophisticated seafood spot Barry Fish and independent food hall Brown’s of Leith).
Chiara added that 2026 is a particularly great year to stop by, with the city’s long-running arts scenes taking much of the spotlight. ‘The ever-evolving Hidden Door festival returns with its cultural takeover of forgotten urban spaces,’ she said, ‘as does Edinburgh Art Festival, hosting a partner gallery programme at venues across the city including a sculptural commission from Glasgow-based drag artist Sgàire Wood at Jupiter Artland.’
There’s more. Next month, Edinburgh will bid a farewell to one of its biggest music festivals (and one of the best in the country) Terminal V. The techno fest will say goodbye to the city with a lineup of more than 100 artists across six stages delivering a clubbing experience on a mega-scale.
We’re also looking forward to the Edinburgh International Festival’s 2026, which will be opened with a bang by the astounding Berliner Philharmoniker, and the Royal Scottish Academy’s huge 200th anniversary celebrations. Not to mention, of course, the biggest and best arts festival on the globe, the Edinburgh Fringe, in August. Oh, and in between all that, make sure to find some time to try Panda and Sons, a cocktail bar that was recently crowned the greatest in the entire world and Moss, Time Out’s favourite restaurant in the city right now. What are you waiting for?
See Time Out’s Best Cities with Intrepid Travel 2026 in full here.
Explore more of Edinburgh with Time Out’s guides to its best things to do, best restaurants and best bars.
Ready to see the world's best cities for yourself? Book your next trip with Intrepid Travel and start planning the ultimate adventure today.
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