The Tuscan capital, Florence, is the only Italian city in the global top 20 in a Time Out survey. It is recognised for a cultural offering that extends well beyond its Renaissance monuments.
Florence has been ranked ninth in Time Out‘s annual survey of the world’s best cities for culture, making it the highest-placed Italian city and the only one to appear in the global top 20. The Tuscan capital sits between Madrid, in eighth place, and Kraków, in tenth. London, Paris and New York City took the top three positions.
The ranking is compiled each year by the British magazine through a survey of 24,000 residents across 150 cities worldwide. Rather than measuring visitor appeal, the methodology focuses on how people actually living in those cities perceive and experience their local cultural life — a distinction that gives the list a different character from conventional tourism indices.
What the survey measures
The ranking takes into account not only the presence of museums and landmarks, but also the accessibility, affordability and variety of cultural activities available to residents. Survey respondents were asked about museums, galleries, cinemas, theatres, festivals and live music. Time Out’s own cultural editors contributed additional evaluations alongside the resident responses.
Florence received notably strong scores across several categories. Approval ratings reached 78% for museums and 63% for art galleries. The city’s overall cultural approval rating stood at 72% — the same percentage of residents who told the survey that access to art and cultural activities in Florence is economically affordable.
Heritage and contemporary programming
Time Out’s coverage of Florence pointed to the combination of historic heritage and active contemporary cultural programming. The city’s Renaissance holdings were cited prominently, including the Uffizi Galleries and the recently reopened Vasari Corridor, which returned to public access after an extended restoration period. Historic cafés, medieval wine windows and the city’s churches also featured in the magazine’s assessment.
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The report was equally attentive to Florence’s present-day cultural calendar. The current Palazzo Strozzi exhibition dedicated to Mark Rothko, running until 23 August 2026, was cited as an example of the city’s capacity to attract major international contemporary art. Time Out also highlighted Florence’s summer programme of open-air opera, jazz concerts and outdoor cinema screenings held across the city’s piazzas and public gardens.
