And did we make it?
We quizzed over 21,000 city-dwellers to find out the world’s greatest cities for art and culture
Written by Grace Beard
Contributors Time Out editors
& Time Out contributors
Wednesday 22 November 2023
How would you rate your city’s culture scene? To find out the best cities for art and culture right now, we asked over 21,000 city-dwellers across the globe that exact question – and the results are in.
Each city on this list has earned its place through a meticulous curation process. Locals were quizzed on their city’s best cultural venues and experiences, and were also asked to score their city’s cultural offering based on both its quality and affordability. Of course, affordability is relative here: what’s considered cheap to locals in one city might not be to those in another. But whether it’s because of discounted museum entry for locals or free open-air festivals, these are destinations where art and culture won’t break the bank.
We then narrowed down the selection by excluding cities with lower overall scores, and only including the highest-scoring city for each country. (Better luck next time, London!) Four ‘spotlight’ cities were added to the final ranking – cities that weren’t surveyed but were nominated by Time Out’s clued-up editors and local experts as cultural capitals that deserve a spotlight on this year’s list.
So, ready to get out there? From Mumbai to Melbourne, these are the very best cities for art and culture right now.
The world’s 20 best cities for culture right now
Greg
Check out the lobby at the Fairmont, it's gorgeous.
The Gingerbread House, though better lighting later in the afternoon or evening.
