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For the past eight years, we’ve made it our mission to scope out the coolest pockets of the world’s greatest cities in order to create our definitive annual ranking. The places where stuff like nightlife, art, culture, and affordable food and drink can be found on every corner and down every backstreet. Where diversity is championed and independent businesses thrive, from old-school boltholes to the newest avant-garde art space. Put simply, the world’s coolest neighbourhoods are places that represent the soul of our cities, while maintaining their own unique local character that draws people in to live, work and play.So, what are the neighbourhoods that fit the bill this year? To find out, we asked our network of writers and editors across a breadth of cities to nominate the vibiest district in their hometown right now. We then ranked every neighbourhood against criteria including culture, community, liveability, nightlife, food and drink, street life and that hard-to-define sense of ‘nowness’. On our list this year, you’ll find everything from homely, village-like enclaves with tight-knit communities to revitalised city-centre hubs and formerly dormant, industrial areas transformed into creative districts. Many are underrated spots that sit in the shadow of their commercialised counterparts; others have become unexpected culinary hotspots or magnets for the city’s artists, writers and activists. What they all have in common is a DIY spirit – and an unshakeable proclivity for ingenuity and fun.Get ready to debate – these are the 39 coolest neighbourhoods on the planet right now. RECOMMENDED:🌆 The world’s greatest cities in 2025🪩 The best cities for nightlife right now🍴 The best cities for food right now🖼️ The world’s culture capitals in 2025

The world’s best cities for Gen Z celebrates the places where the next generation truly thrives. 

The world’s best cities for nightlife in 2025 reflects an incredible spectrum of after-dark culture.

To figure out the great culinary metropolises of today, we surveyed thousands of people around the world about food in their city.

From Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi, these are today’s cultural capitals. See you out there!

Every year we rank the very greatest cities in the world, based on a survey of thousands of locals

As the nights turn darker and the air feels cooler, it can only mean one thing: spooky season is upon us. The pumpkins are carved, the costume is finalised, and there’s only one thing left to sort out… a Halloween playlist that goes hard enough to have the afterlife dancing along too.When it comes to Halloween anthems, there are some stone cold classics that have soundtracked the spooky season for decades – we’re looking at you, ‘Thriller’ and ‘Ghostbusters’. But in recent years a new generation of pop ghouls have served up anthems befitting of All Hallows’ Eve. From Olivia Rodrigo’s ex-boyfriend bleeding her dry, to the bewitching melodies of Mother Monster, via the smooth tones of some immaculately styled K-Pop demons. Ironically, Halloween playlists have never felt more alive.Our favourite Halloween songs at a glance:Most iconic Halloween track: ‘Thriller’ by Michael JacksonBest new Halloween anthem: ‘Abracadabra’ by Lady GagaMost dramatic Halloween song: ‘There Will Be Blood’ by Kim PetrasBest Halloween anthem with a K-Pop twist: ‘Your Idol’ by Saja BoysBest Halloween track to dance to: ‘Monster Mash’ by Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & the Crypt-KickersRECOMMENDED:👻 The best Halloween movies of all time🎤 The best karaoke songs🎵 The best songs of 2025 so far🕺 The best albums of 2025 so far

Whether you’ve got the voice of an angel or you’re totally tone deaf, karaoke unites us all. 

Party songs come in all shapes and sizes, but to be a party song, there are some rules. 

We’re only a few months through the year and our auditory canals have already been graced with some absolutely cracking new music.

This year of music has started with a bang. We’ve seen Chappell Roan go country, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco smothering audiences with gushy love songs and Playboi Carti’s rapturous return from the underground. Alongside these pop heavyweights, we’re witnessing rap superstar Doechii continue her chart domination and the breakthrough of Gen Z artists like 2hollis and Tate McRae.What songs are defining 2025? Well, we’ve searched through our playlists and extracted the best songs of the year so far, below. But it doesn’t stop there. Keep your eyes peeled for updates to this list throughout the year as we’re still awaiting albums from Turnstile, Lorde, Addison Rae, Miley Cyrus, Pulp, A$AP Rocky and many more. Georgia curates Time Out’s music section. If she's not blabbering about music on the website, she's doing it in-person (much to the office’s dismay). For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.RECOMMENDED:🎧 The best albums of 2025 (so far)🎥 The best movies of 2025 (so far)📺 The best TV of 2025 (so far)

Being in love tends to make you want to shout from the rooftops about how great it all is, so it’s no surprise it dominates the music world.

There’s a reason why motivational songs that put a firm pep in your step stand the test of time. As these timeless inspirational tracks prove, music that has the power to lift your mood, get you striding through life with your head held high, and urges you to embrace the good of today, is music that we all come back to again and again.On this list of the 37 best inspirational songs of all-time, you’ll find everything from aspirational rap classics to rock’n’roll affirmations to pop stars who inspire simply by existing. From golden anthems by Gloria Gaynor and David Bowie, right through to modern-day pick-me-ups by Billie Eilish and Jamie xx, no matter what you need to get done, these jams will help get you there.RECOMMENDED:🎵 The best songs of 2025 so far🕺 The best albums of 2025 so far🎤 The best karaoke songs🍻 The best drinking songs🎶 The best ’80s songs🎊 The best pop songs

From soul and pop all the way through to heavy metal, covering other artist’s songs is an art form.

You can pay for all the therapy you want – sometimes only a good cry will do it.

The ’80s changed music forever. That’s no secret. But choosing the best songs from the era is no easy task.