Last month, published its annual list of the best cities in the world for culture, which was based on input from the more than 24,000 urbanites that we spoke to in our survey, and London was named champion.
But ‘culture’ is a broad term, and as part of our research, we honed in on specific aspects of each hub’s offering to determine where they performed particularly well, from their live and classical music scenes to their theatre and comedy.
Oh, and their museums and galleries, obviously – so let’s take a look at which cities do each of those venues the best.
Kicking off with museums, reigning champion London – unsurprisingly – fared pretty darn well, claiming a third-place spot and the approval of 88 percent of the locals we spoke to. Entry to so many museums in the UK capital is free, and the wider cultural scenes accessibility is largely why it did so well in our overall ranking.
But, where beat out London? Well, with a 90 percent approval rating, the Spanish capital of Madrid claimed second place, but first was stolen by renowned museum heavyweight and best city for culture in 2025, Paris.
Recommended: Check out our guides to free galleries and museums in London, and the best museums and art galleries in Paris.
Surprised? No, neither are we. However, in the galleries category, the tables have turned. Paris gained a 68 percent approval rating from the locals we spoke to (tied with New York City), whereas London stormed ahead with 81 percent to claim first place.
Instead of making everything about winning, let’s appreciate these two cultural titans for the outstanding counterparts that they are. If you’re headed to London this summer, make sure you pay the brand-new V&A East Museum a visit, as well as the blockbuster Frida: The Making of An Icon exhibition at the Tate Modern.
Set to be living it up in Paris in the next few months? Well, if you’re there before the end of June, stop by La Caverne du Pont Neuf, a striking immersive installation on the city’s oldest bridge which (once it’s overcome its teething problems) will be completely free to visit for everyone. Oh, and here’s a list of all the other exhibitions worth travelling to the French capital for this year.
The top five here was rounded out by Florence and again, Madrid, whereas the top five in the museums category was completed by New York in fourth place, and Chicago in fifth. Scroll on for a peek at the top 10 cities for museums and galleries, respectively.
The best cities for museums in 2026
- Paris, 97 percent
- Madrid, 90 percent
- London, 88 percent
- New York, 85 percent
- Chicago, 79 percent
- Florence, 78 percent
- Prague, 77 percent
- Budapest, 76 percent
- Vienna, 76 percent
- Lisbon, 73 percent
The best cities for galleries in 2026
- London, 81 percent
- Paris, 68 percent
- New York, 68 percent
- Florence, 63 percent
- Madrid, 61 percent
- Edinburgh, 61 percent
- Rome, 60 percent
- Melbourne, 60 percent
- Prague, 58 percent
- Washington D.C., 56 percent
🖼️ Here’s ’s Best Cities for Culture With Intrepid Travel for 2026, and our compilation of the planet’s most beautiful museums.
Ready to see the world’s best cities for yourself? Book your next trip with Intrepid Travel and start planning the ultimate adventure today. Renowned for the ‘best small group trips’ around, Intrepid is all about locally led adventures that find the sweet spot between authentic cultural experiences and responsible tourism. Trips span more than 100 destinations – from trekking the Inca Trail in Peru to street-food discoveries in Japan and desert camping beneath the stars in Morocco.
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