Big 7 Travel has put together a list of best cities for arts and culture in the world.
According to Big 7 Travel:
50. Austin (United States)
The ‘live music capital city of the word’, Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. It’s home to more than 30 museums, including the Blanton Museum of Art and Texas State History Museum, as well as 64 theatres and 250 live music venues. The city is rich in talent too, and thanks to its burgeoning creative scene, it recently became part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.
49. São Paulo (Brazil)
São Paulo boasts more museums than any other country in Latin America, with 110 dotted across the city. Cultural heavyweights include the Museu de Arte Moderna, Museu de Arte Contemporânea and Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo and Pinacoteca, home to works by everyone from Portinari to Picasso.
48. Guangzhou (China)
Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, was once known as the manufacturing capital of the world, but it has bold plans for its arts and cultural offering over the next few years. With a history stretching back over 2,200 years, the city already has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 15 national museums and dozens of galleries, including the Guangzhou Museum of Art. By 2035 authorities are aiming to have increased the number of museums fivefold too.
47. Oslo (Norway)
This compact cultural city is home to some of Norway’s best-loved galleries and cultural institutions. Edvard Munch and Henrik Ibsen have been the city’s poster boys for over a century, but there’s plenty of contemporary culture to dive into too. In fact, in the past few years, several high capital projects have kicked off the city’s cultural scene, like the Deichman Building, the Bjovika cultural quarter, the Munch Museum and the National Museum. Today, the city boasts 11 national museums, 52 art galleries and 8,485 historical and heritage sites.
46. Edinburgh (Scotland)
Edinburgh might not be very big compared to some of the other entries on our list, but it packs a supersized cultural punch within its city walls. Famous for its historic architecture and unique topography, it’s home to superstar museums like the National Museum of Scotland and the National Gallery of Scotland, 12 major festivals every year and a rich literary tradition dating back to the enlightenment. The Old Town and New Town are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites too.
45. Lagos (Nigeria)
Nigeria’s largest city Lagos is home to a thriving cultural scene, with top billing arts institutions such as the Centre for Contemporary Art, the Didi Museum and African Artists’ Foundation. It’s also one of the world’s fastest-growing cities, with a lively arts scene on both the streets and behind the doors of its celebrated institutions. Currently, there are 14 theatres, 54 cinemas, 51 art galleries and 12 museums dotted across the city.
44. Zurich (Switzerland)
This culturally vibrant city is an international hub for arts and sciences, and its cultural institutions are some of the most forward-thinking in the world. Renowned venues include the Schauspielhaus, the Opera House, and the Tonhalle, as well as more than 40 museums, such as the Museum Rietberg and Museum Haus Konstruktiv. Film and theatre are big here too. Every year thousands flock to Zurich to get involved with renowned festivals like Theaterspektakel and the Zurich Film Festival.
43. Cape Town (South Africa)
Home to 580 heritage sites, 35 art galleries and 14 national museums, Cape Town’s cultural offering is as diverse as it is abundant. The city also boasts a handful of design districts, home to institutions such as the Freeworld Design Centre and the Mutual Building in the CBD, and Etafeni Centre in Nyanga.
42. Singapore
Singapore is on a mission to become a global cultural centre and has been ploughing investment into the rejuvenation of national buildings, historic spaces, theatres, museums and galleries. It’s working. Each of its 72 historical and heritage landmarks, 225 art galleries, UNESCO World Heritage Site and six museums reflect the city-state’s rich, multicultural history and identity.
41. Dublin (Ireland)
For a city spread across just 115 sq. km, Dublin punches well above its weight when it comes to arts and culture. There are 5.3 cultural attractions per sq. km. The Irish capital offers at least 62 museums, as well as 51 public libraries, three universities and 52 art galleries. Cultural highlights include the Hugh Lane Gallery, the National Gallery of Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the National Concert Hall. The city boasts a proud literary heritage too, including the likes of James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, to name a few.
40. Warsaw (Poland)
While Warsaw’s history dates back to the 12 century, the city has reinvented itself so many times that it’s acquired the nickname ‘Phoenix City’. Famed for its diverse architecture spanning medieval market squares and post-WWII socialist-realist tower blocks, it’s also home to cultural treasures such as the Warsaw Rising Museum, the National Museum and The Fryderyk Chopin Museum. The Historic Centre of Warsaw is UNESCO-listed too.
39. Vienna (Austria)
Vienna is home to countless world-class art collections, including one of the largest collections of Gustav Klimt’s paintings in the world, but music really put this cultured capital on the map. Hayden, Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler, Schubert, Brahms and Strauss all lived and worked here, and you can see many of their masterpieces at one of the city’s 26 theatres and 7 sprawling concert halls, plus the renowned Renaissance Revival State Opera House. There are over 100-odd museums dotted around the city too.
38. Johannesburg (South Africa)
Johannesburg is home to a whole host of cultural attractions, from downtown Newtown all the way to Soweto. The city is home to three theatres, four major concert halls and 281 heritage sites.
It’s also home to more than 76 art galleries, including the Johannesburg Art Gallery – the largest art collection in the country. Every year, the annual city-sponsored Arts Alive festival and Johannesburg Carnival celebrates the city’s diverse heritage too.
37. Osaka (Japan)
Japan’s second city is home to dozens of world-class museums and galleries. Seamlessly blending traditional culture with cutting-edge contemporary arts and architecture, it’s home to some of the country’s leading museums. It’s where you’ll find the National Museum of Art, the Osaka Museum of History and the City Art Museum.
It’s also one of the world’s leading cities in terms of cultural attractions, with a hefty 1,798 to its name. To put that into context, Milan has 1,480 and Barcelona has 1,321.
36. Lisbon (Portugal)
Home to 78 art galleries, five major concert halls and 44 museums, Portugal’s colourful capital city is a big hit with music, art, theatre and history buffs. It’s home to distinctive art forms, such as fado – a musical style – and ceramic tiles, as well as cutting-edge design and contemporary art. It boasts three UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 312 historical sites too.
35. Toronto (Canada)
Toronto played an important cultural role throughout the 20th century as English Canada’s centre of commerce, media and arts, but it really kicked off after World War II with new infrastructure, theatres, galleries, museums and festivals popping up across the city to tell Canada’s story. Today, it’s home to 76 museums and 433 art galleries, like the Royal Ontario Museum. It’s a worldwide centre of film too, particularly well-known for the Toronto International Film Festival.
34. Brasília (Brazil)
This architectural and cultural gem is home to a variety of museums and galleries dedicated to preserving art, such as the National Museum of the Republic, the Chamber of Deputies art collection and the Cultural Complex of Samambaia. Design is a particular forte, with a calendar of events featuring notable names such as the Salão Brasil Criativo – Design & Negócios, the Capital Fashion Week, the Senai Brazil Festival, the Brazilian Graphic Design Biennial and the JAM Nerd Festival.
33. Helsinki (Finland)
This Nordic creative hub is home to over 100 art galleries, 76 museums and over 20 performance art spaces. Some of its best-known museums and galleries include the Ateneum, the Amos Rex and the Helsinki City Design. It’s not all behind closed doors either. Local law mandates that 1% of building costs are dedicated to art, so there are over 500 sculptures, monuments and artworks sprinkled across the city. June 2021 saw the first-ever Helsinki Biennial too. The event draws creatives from across the world to explore the city’s artistic landscapes through digital artworks, performances and virtual reality experiences.
32. Berlin (Germany)
Berlin is home to a varied and rich art scene. Cultural offerings range from long-standing institutions such as the Gemäldegalerie and Alte Nati
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