What are the best cities in the world for art and culture, according to Time Out magazine?

Unsurprisingly, London tops the ranking of the 20 best cities in the world for art and culture established by the magazine Time Outfollowed by Paris and New York. The list also includes two Latin American cities and one Spanish city.

This ranking is the result of a survey carried out among more than 24,000 people in more than 150 cities around the world, with the contribution of experts and the magazine’s editors.

The criteria for ranking these cultural capitals included not only museums, theaters and concerts, but also street art, local cinema and traditional festivals, taking into account ticket prices and free entry.

Here are some of the highlights of this ranking.

The sprawling Brazilian metropolis ranks seventh on Time Out’s list, which designates it as one of the most important epicenters of visual arts.

It is home to institutions such as the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), whose building is a jewel of modern Brazilian architecture and houses one of the finest collections of European art in the southern hemisphere, as well as the Pinacoteca, the oldest museum in the city, which exhibits artists Brazilians from the 19th century to the present day.

Works of contemporary and experimental art can also be found at MAM, the Tomie Ohtake Institute, as well as several local independent galleries and spaces with ambitious projects.

It’s particularly notable that the city has replaced billboards with street art, attracting local talent like OsGêmeos.

Although visual arts dominate the aesthetic landscape, 58% of respondents said the best aspect of São Paulo culture is live music.

This city in western Mexico has established itself as the artistic capital of the country, full of galleries, museums, workshops, boutiques and public spaces. She is in 14th place in the ranking.

According to the Time Out survey, it scored 86% for quality and 71% for affordability, with most residents praising its music scene and museums.

The cultural scene includes the provocative frescoes of José Clemente Orozco at the Cabañas Cultural Institute (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the ceramic workshops of Suro and Paco Padilla, concept stores like Amor Apache and NIMIA, and galleries such as Páramo, TravesÃa Cuatro, and CURRO, which showcase light of Mexican artists.

The magazine recommends planning a stay in Guadalajara between January and February, during the ART WKND GDL weekend, which brings together all the artistic activity in the city.

The Spanish capital scored one of the highest for the quality of its cultural scene, with 91% of respondents calling it ‘good’ or ‘spectacular’. It ranks eighth on the list and fourth best destination in Europe.

What sets Madrid apart are its world-renowned museums, like the Prado – home to works by Velázquez, Goya, El Greco and Bosch, among others – and the Reina Sofáa Museum, home to Pablo Picasso’s monumental “Guernica” as well as collections of 20th-century and contemporary art.

Madrilenians consider its cinemas among the best in the world, as does its arts scene, with annual events such as the Autumn Festival and Surge Madrid, which promotes alternative theater.

The editorial guideline of Time Out Madrid highlights an impressive musical calendar. Madrid is the only city in Europe to host Bad Bunny in residence for ten days, she writes, and Shakira will have a stadium in her name for a series of exceptional concerts.

What puts London at the top of the rankings according to Time Out?

First of all, nowhere else in the world can you find so many prestigious museums and art galleries with free entry. These major institutions continue to open branches throughout the city, showcasing world-renowned works of art and providing free access to the public.

London is not only the British capital; it is also the capital of theater. With its mix of large West End theatres, more intimate venues, independent theaters and pubs, you can attend a play every day of the year and never see the same one twice.

The musical offering is very varied, ranging from classical concerts and avant-garde jazz to airy pop and thunderous heavy metal, every day of the week.

Added to this are historic sites, charming neighborhoods and parks to explore, shops selling unusual objects, street markets and gastronomy to suit all tastes and budgets.

The French capital comes in second place, but is the only city to have obtained a unanimous score of 100% for its artistic and cultural scene.

There are major museums like the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, but also more intimate spaces that encourage the emergence of avant-garde talents.

This convergence of talents is found in all forms of art, from painting to photography, from architecture to fashion, underlines Marine Delcambre, editor-in-chief of digital content at Time Out.

This year, you will be able to admire exhibitions dedicated to Matisse at the Grand Palais, to One Hundred Years of Art Deco at the Museum of Decorative Arts, to African Fashion at the Museum du Quai Branly and to the photographs of Lee Miller at the Museum of Modern Art.

The emblematic Center Pompidou will be closed until 2030 for renovation, but the Museum of Romantic Life and the Fondation Cartier et du Art Contemporain will soon reopen their doors.

New York ranks third, but it has nothing left to prove when it comes to culture, says Christina Izzo, who covers New York cultural life for the magazine.

It was also voted the third best city in the world for theater, after London and Madrid, but it was its museums that obtained the highest scores: 85% of those surveyed praised its legendary institutions.

These include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Whitney, the Guggenheim and the Brooklyn Museum.

Art is omnipresent in New York. Outdoors, the Public Art Fund will exhibit works by Woody De Othello and Genesis Belanger, among others, in city parks.

And let’s not forget the music, which speaks for itself. After all, the city prides itself on being the birthplace of hip-hop, punk and everything considered “cool,” concludes Izzo.

Other cities that complete the list of top cultural destinations are Berlin, Florence, Krakow, Copenhagen, Athens and Lisbon in Europe; Cape Town, Marrakech and Cairo in Africa; Melbourne in Australia; and the Asian cities of Taipei, Beijing, Jaipur and Chiang Mai.