Sydney is officially one of the world’s best cities for culture and arts

• Sydney has been named one of the world’s best cities for culture and arts, thanks to its boundary-pushing events.
• Paris, Florence, Edinburgh and Mexico City are also some of the top 5 global cities.
• More than 18,500 people and Time Out‘s culture experts voted for their favourite hotspots.

More than 18,500 people across the world, as well as Time Out‘s culture experts, were asked about their favourite destinations for culture and Sydney’s come out on top. In the top five around the world, in fact.

Locals were surveyed about their hometown, rating the quality and affordability of its culture scene, and sharing their opinions on the venues, events and festivals they love most in their city. Time Out combined this with scores from their global network of culture experts, who voted for their favourite destinations, to create a list of the world’s top culture destinations.

READ MORE: ‘It doesn’t get better than that’: The 2025 winners of the Archibald Wynne and Sulman Prize

Earning a spot in the top five, Sydney is officially Australia’s culture capital.

Sydney might be well known for its harbours and beaches, but it also has a thriving arts scene, featuring everything from world-class exhibitions and dazzling musicals to drag shows on bartops and indie theatre in pub basements — all of which impressed Time Out’s culture experts, who gave it top marks alongside Paris.

The Sydney Theatre Company was the birthplace of the current Broadway hit The Picture of Dorian Gray, whilst smaller, indie venues like the Old Fitz are busy producing the next generation.

— Time Out’s editors

The annual list reflects the destinations around the globe where art and culture isn’t confined to museums and arts venues, but spreads across the city. “Think pop-up festivals in unlikely locations, late-night museum parties and a new class of creatives pushing the boundaries of performing arts,” said Time Out travel editor Grace Beard.

The announcement comes just a few days before Vivid Sydney returns for 2025. It’s a prime example of Sydney’s commitment to sharing arts and culture beyond indoor events and exhibitions, and no doubt one of the stand-out events that earned the Harbour City its top spot.

READ MORE: Ultimate Guide to Vivid Sydney

The world’s top 20 cities for culture

Paris scooped up the top spot, followed by the likes of Lisbon, Jakarta, Amsterdam and Medellin. “Each of these 20 cities has a lively program of cultural events alongside legacy institutions for the arts — that’s why they’re the cultural capitals of today,” says Grace. To make sure the list reflects the world’s cultural offering, only the highest-scoring cities for each country were included. The full top 20 list is below.

1. Paris, France

2. Florence, Italy

3. Edinburgh, UK

4. Mexico City, Mexico

5. Sydney, Australia

6. Barcelona, Spain

7. Chicago, United States

8. Lisbon, Portugal

9. Hanoi, Vietnam

10. Cape Town, South Africa

11. Beijing, China

12. Tblisi, Georgia

13. Jakarta, Indonesia

14. Delhi, India

15. Medellin, Colombia

16. Amsterdam, Netherlands

17. Marrakech, Morocco

18. Vienna, Austria

19. Prague, Czech Republic

20. Abu Dhabi, UAE

Sydney’s standing is no surprise to us, but we’re a little biased. Autumn and winter are the best time to explore the city’s arts and culture offering though, with Vivid returning from next Friday, May 23. The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize exhibition has recently opened at the Art Gallery of NSW, and is a calendar highlight, and the Sydney Writer’s Festival begins next Tuesday, May 20. GLOW at Sydney Zoo is currently lighting up Western Sydney with animal-inspired light installations, and Sydney Film Festival will bring cinephiles together in June, when it takes over the city’s big screens for three weeks.

READ MORE: 2025 Sydney Film Festival: Complete List of Feature Films Screening