At , we love all things city life. That’s why, for the last decade, we’ve surveyed urbanites all over the planet about life in their city to create our definitive annual ranking.
That’s right – this year marks the tenth anniversary of our city research, and ’s Best Cities with Intrepid Travel for 2026 has just landed.
To compile it, we spoke to more than 24,000 locals, including ’s regular readers, who told us all about the nightlife, culture, food, affordability, happiness and general vibe of their city, and factored in insight from a panel of more than 100 experts.
Shanghai, Edinburgh, London and New York all claimed a spot in the top five, but the champion of our Best Cities list for 2026 was Melbourne.
That’s right – Australia’s largest city, also known by its indigenous name Naarm, is already the country’s sports capital, having hosted the Australian Open (which, in 2026, broke all attendance records), the F1 Australian Grand Prix, AFL Grand Final and the Boxing Day Test of late.
The city’s coolest streets and neighbourhoods are peppered with kooky galleries, indie cinemas, rooftop bars and vinyl shops, and many also brag colourful murals and world-class gardens. It sits on the Yarra River, which holds cultural significance for the city’s Indigenous communities, and across Melbourne you’ll find everything from historic, heritage-listed buildings (just one part of a lauded cultural scene, according to Melburnians) to a thriving food scene (which 94 percent of locals rank highly) of landmark restaurants and cult-favourite dishes.
But, why should you visit now? Well, ‘With Mad March (as we locals like to call it) in full swing, you can touch down and immediately dive head first into the gastronomic delights of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, laugh ‘til your abs hurt at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival or turn into a floral fanatic at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.’ writes Leah Glynn, ’s Melbourne Editor.
‘Come winter, the NGV will host the largest-ever exhibition of Cartier jewels in a Melbourne exclusive; while spring will feature the first-ever regular season NFL game to be played in Australia, with the San Francisco 49ers and the LA Rams going head to head at the MCG. In other words: you better book those flights, asap.’ she says.
🏙️ Read the full Best Cities list for 2026.
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