Residing in a city comes with loads of perks – heterogeneous food options, exciting nightlife, and often, the convenience of having your everyday needs met within walking distance from where you live.
But, the best thing about living in a city? Well, arguably it’s having world-class culture – be it renowned museums, theatre or music – at your fingertips.
That’s why Time Out scours the planet to compile a list of the current cultural capitals every single year. For 2026, 24,000 locals from more than 150 cities weighed in on the quality and affordability of the culture scene where they live, and it resulted in our 20-strong list of Time Out’s Best Cities for Culture with Intrepid Travel.
Topping that list? It was London, which garnered a monumentally impressive 99 percent score for the quality of its arts scene.
‘There’s nowhere in the world with so many elite galleries and museums that are entirely free to visit,’ says Time Out UK’s editor-in-chief Joe Mackertich. ‘South Kensington probably has more incredible exhibits housed in its many legendary institutions than you can find in every state in America combined (this is an estimate, please don’t look into it. What’s mad is that new museums – all free to visit, all world-class – are still appearing all the time.’
Read more about why London scored so well here.
Photograph: Olha Solodenko / Shutterstock
But, the UK capital is far from the only cultural heavyweight in Europe – in fact, eight more cities made our top 20. Paris claimed second place in the global ranking, and the approval rate here was even more impressive, with absolutely every local we spoke to having positive things to say about Paris’s cultural scene. That’s right – 100 percent of them love it.
London has the edge thanks to the fact that so many institutions are free to visit, but 2026 is a particularly exciting year to soak up some culture in the French capital.
According to Time Out Paris writer Marine Delcambre, ‘you can admire Matisse, 1941–1954 at the Grand Palais or One Hundred Years of Art Deco at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and follow it up with Africa Fashion at the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac or Lee Miller at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. And while the iconic Centre Pompidou remains closed for renovation until 2030, the Musée de la Vie Romantique and the new Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain are (re)opening their doors.’
Oh, and if you’re in Paris in June, don’t forget to head to La Caverne Pont Neuf, our favourite new thing to do in the world this year. Scroll on for a peak at the rest of Europe’s best cities for culture.
These are Europe’s nine best cities for culture in 2026
- London
- Paris
- Berlin
- Madrid
- Florence
- Kraków
- Copenhagen
- Athens
- Lisbon
📍 Read the full list of Time Out’s Best Cities for Culture with Intrepid Travel 2026.
Ready to see the world’s best cities for yourself? Book your next trip with Intrepid Travel and start planning the ultimate adventure today.
ICYMI: These two culture-packed European capitals are now finally connected by direct train.
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