It’s the home of the deep dish pizza and the birthplace of America’s first Pope. Now Chicago has another accolade, one that might just prompt locals to channel Frank Sinatra and belt out ‘My Kind of Town’.
It’s the only U.S. city to make a list of the best places in the world for culture.
The Windy City comes seventh in Time Out’s 20-strong ranking of the best cities for culture in 2025.
The list of cultural hotspots was compiled by a survey of 18,500 people around the world who were asked about culture in their city.
Each was ranked according to how locals rated the quality and affordability of its culture scene, coupled with the thoughts of Time Out’s global city editors and culture experts.
Chicago is lauded by Time Out for its “stunning architecture” and outdoor installations and public art initiatives.
Christina Izzo, interim editor at Time Out Chicago, writes: “[This year] annual favorite Art on the Mart will illuminate downtown buildings with digital artwork, and this year’s Expo Chicago will see artists boldly take over area billboards and information panels.
“Who needs an exhibition hall when you have an entire city?”
There will likely be little surprise that Paris tops the chart.
Florence, Italy, comes second, with Edinburgh, UK, claiming bronze on the podium.
Time Out reveals that 95 percent of Parisians rated their city’s cultural offering as either “good” or “amazing”, with the guide adding that its global network of local experts also ranked the city top for culture, too.
The guide notes that 2025 sees the Grand Palais reopen with a “stunning” exhibition from Dolce & Gabbana.
Florence claimed second place thanks to being a “melting pot of Renaissance splendor and cutting-edge culture, including Tracey Emin’s exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi”.
Edinburgh’s third-place gong came courtesy of cultural enticements such as the “world-renowned” Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival, plus Europe’s first museum of contemporary Palestinian art.
The top 20 cities for culture in 2025
- Paris, France
- Florence, Italy
- Edinburgh, UK
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Sydney, Australia
- Barcelona, Spain
- Chicago, USA
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Beijing, China
- Tbilisi, Georgia
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Delhi, India
- Medellin, Colombia
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Marrakech, Morocco
- Vienna, Austria
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
