This charming Southeast Asian capital city is one of the world's best cities for culture right now
If you're eager to dive into Asia's flourishing cultural landscape, then we've sussed out the cities you can start with. Time Out surveyed 18,500 locals worldwide to get their thoughts on the quality and affordability of their city's cultural scene. Our network of art and culture editors then narrowed the list to 20 of the world's finest cultural hubs. We thought outside the box of museums, galleries, and theatres to consider free-wheeling, community-rooted events like pop-up festivals, museum parties, and even raves in caves.
So, the best city in Asia for a large dose of art and culture? Hanoi (No. 9), Vietnam's charming capital with a history stretching back more than 1,000 years. As local writer Joey Gann puts it, "What's charming about modern, youthful Hanoi is that the past is never far away." One minute, you can be in the Old Quarter watching performers on ancient silk-string instruments; the next, you can rock and roll with upcoming local bands at Hanoi Rock City. The city is home to the aforementioned 'rave in a cave' Equation Festival, and blistering fashion talent who are bringing ethnic textiles to the global couture stage.
The kicker? Getting cultured in Hanoi is super easy on your wallet. It's the cheapest city for art and culture on our list, with 82 percent of locals ranking it highly for affordability. Case in point: weekend walking streets filled with street performances and traditional showcases you can enjoy for free.
In a bit of a shocker, Japanese cities like Tokyo and Kyoto didn't crack the top 20. Instead, Beijing comes next at No. 11, standing out for its intriguing mix of Chinese tradition and modern life. Locals particularly love the National Centre for the Performing Arts and Tiananmen Square, so make space in your itinerary for those.
We're glad to see Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, at No. 13. This city has long been wildly creative, with "big name museums and galleries, [as well as] many smaller spaces like Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace, Jakarta Art Hub and M Bloc Space becoming popular venues for various creative communities," says local expert Leyla Rose. She also highlights Jakarta's vibrant music scene, which shines with annual fests like Java Jazz Festival, Djakarta Warehouse Project, and We the Fest. It's the most affordable city for the arts after Hanoi, too.
The final Asian city on the list is Delhi at No. 14. 89 percent of locals rated their city's culture scene highly in our survey, which local writer Shuvajit Payne says is becoming "bigger, better, and more inclusive each year." If there's one thing to check out, it's the newly opened Humayun's Tomb museum, a marvel of Mughal architecture.
So, which is the best city in the world for arts and culture in 2025? Take a wild guess – or find out below.
Paris
Florence
Edinburgh
Mexico City
Sydney
Barcelona
Chicago
Lisbon
Hanoi
Cape Town
Beijing
Tbilisi
Jakarta
Delhi
Medellin
Amsterdam
Marrakech
Vienna
Prague
Abu Dhabi
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Prince Andrew escapes bombshell book revelations by secretly fleeing to Balmoral
The Duke of York is having his reputation shredded again thanks to a bombshell new book which made a number of startling claims about his life. Prince Andrew has fled from Royal Lodge up to Balmoral to spend the end of summer with the rest of the Royal Family, according to reports. Andrew is having his reputation shredded once again thanks to a bombshell new book which made a number of startling claims about his life. Last time the Duke of York was embroiled in such a scandal was last December when he was linked to an alleged Chinese spy who was named following a High Court judgement. The backlash was so heavy that, to avoid being a distraction, he "honourably withdrew" from joining the Firm at their annual gathering in Sandringham last Christmas. However, as reported by the Scottish Daily Express, this time around he has been allowed to join King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the Royal Family at Balmoral despite facing a string of sordid revelations about him. These include allegations that he is a sex addict and ended up in a physical fight with Prince Harry. Historian Andrew Lownie's book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, includes a number of never-before-heard stories about Andrew's life, including his close friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, as well as his mysterious financial dealings with foreign billionaires from the likes of Kazakhstan. It also details how he treated and "bullied" Palace staff, had a vulgar sense of humour and enjoyed sexual relations with other women while married to Fergie. He was also "punched in the nose" by Prince Harry during a heated fall-out, although this has been denied by Harry. According to the Daily Mail's Richard Eden, Andrew "arrived at Balmoral on Friday." He "was on his own, with none of the security he used to have. He is believed to be staying at a lodge on the estate." His arrival was three days before King Charles headed up north. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. His ex-wife Fergie and their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, will join him later this week. The monarch received an official welcome to Balmoral Castle on Monday, marking the start of his regular summer holiday in the late Queen's favourite haunt. He wore a tweed jacket and a tartan kilt, with the King also inspecting a Guard of Honour formed of Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland during a ceremony outside the Castle Gates. He greeted their mascot, Shetland pony Corporal Cruachan IV. Queen Camila was not with Charles as she was out on a shopping trip with her daughter Laura and her grandchildren in the nearby village of Ballater. The King is likely to spend most of his holiday at his beloved Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate. A source told the Mail: "It remains to be seen whether Andrew spends any time at all with his brother."
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
Black Myth: Wukong sequel revealed but don't expect it anytime soon
Gamescom Opening Night Live closed the show with a follow-up to Black Myth: Wukong, based around a new character from Chinese mythology. The success of Black Myth: Wukong made a follow-up inevitable, but developer Game Science has announced the next game in the series sooner than you'd expect. Almost exactly a year after Black Myth: Wukong was released, the studio has revealed its successor titled Black Myth: Zhong Kui. It's described as a new entry in the Black Myth series and not a direct sequel to Wukong, although it will still be rooted in Chinese mythology. A brief teaser trailer was shown at Gamescom Opening Night Live, where we see Zhong Kui riding a giant tiger. Zhong Kui is described as a ghost-catching God who wanders between hell and earth. There is no release date or even a window, but Game Science has explained in a Q&A on its website that the game is 'little more than an empty folder at this stage'. In other words, don't expect it to come out for a few years yet. 'With the project being little more than an empty folder at this stage, there's hardly any game footage we could share,' the studio wrote. 'To keep all hands focused on development, we decided to deliver a CG short to let everyone know that a new project has kicked off.' Black Myth: Zhong Kui will be a single-player action role playing game like its predecessor, but the studio wants to make 'refreshing changes' to the formula. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. When writing about its reasons for picking this project over a direct sequel to Wukong, the studio wrote: 'Upon completing the journey with the Destined One, we now aspire to take a tentative first step – to build more distinct gaming experiences, to challenge ourselves with bolder features, and to bring fresh ideas to our world and narrative design. More Trending 'Zhong Kui came as a natural choice born of that aspiration and other contributing factors. We are confident that, in this new project, we can make refreshing changes, create new things, while taking a hard look at our past flaws and regrets.' The studio also reaffirmed DLC for Black Myth: Wukong is on the way, and possibly alluded to a sequel, adding: 'And to all the friends who love Black Myth: Wukong: the westward journey won't end here.' Black Myth: Zhong Kui is planned for PC and 'all mainstream console platforms', although it's unclear if that will include the Switch 2. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 launch date and open beta announced in gameplay trailer MORE: Kirby Air Riders release date announced as creator reveals why he's making it MORE: Next gen Xbox will have special hardware just for AI reveals Microsoft
Graziadaily
7 hours ago
- Graziadaily
Love Is Blind UK: Where Are Kieran And Megan Now?
The path to true love is never smooth, and never has this saying been truer for Love Is Blind UK couple Kieran Holmes-Darby and Megan Jupp. The gaming entrepreneur, 28, connected with both Megan and Sophie Willett in the Pods on the second series of Netflix's dating experiment, but chose to pursue his connection with the former, causing Sophie to walk away from him and the show. Kieran Holmes-Darby and Megan Jupp on Love Is Blind ©Netflix They are right now, as the first four episodes aired, and seem to be happy together. But as we know, anything can happen on Love Is Blind so it remains to be seen if they will make it up the aisle and beyond. They currently do not follow each other or engage on social media to prevent any spoilers, ahead of the finale later this month. Kieran and dancer Megan may have had an instant spark from the beginning, but he was also exploring the possibility of a relationship with Sophie, a 28-year-old senior commercial manager. His relationship with Megan appeared straightforward with an easy banter, sexual chemistry and open emotional vulnerability with each other, whereas Sophie took time to let her guard down. 'That instant click was there,' fitness instructor Megan shared after her first pod date with Kieran, even telling Aanu that he is her top choice. The pair share a love for dancing, which soon led to them opening up about their long-term goals to start a family – and this was all on the first date! On date two, the chemistry between them reached a fever pitch when he told her he can feel the sexual tension between them through the wall. But beyond the attraction, they also opened up to each other about their family relationships. Kieran told Megan about the complicated relationship he has with his mother, which led her to admit that she never really knew her biological father and how her mother's romantic relationships have impacted her own attitude towards men. In contrast, Kieran and Sophie's relationship didn't move as quickly, due to Sophie's inability to open up and show her true self, which she blamed on the walls she put up after falling out with her mother following her parents' divorce. Sophie Willett on Love Is Blind ©Netflix Feeling that his bond with Megan was stronger, Kieran chose to give Megan a sentimental gift of an 'omamori' – a Japanese ornament signifying good fortune – from his travels to Japan. When she found out, a hurt Sophie blurted out about her own relationship with Kieran to Megan, which left the dancer confused about her love match. After an emotional confrontation, Sophie walked out of the Pods and left the show. Kieran reassured Megan that he is serious about her. 'I only want to do the rest of this journey with you,' he told about their connection, Kieran proposed to Megan in the Pods, which she happily agreed. Their first meet in real life was a success: she is giddy over his dimples while he's 'buzzing' about her red hair, calling himself a 'lucky boy' to have found Megan. And while she admitted she is 'falling' in love with Kieran, she hasn't told him just yet. Cyprus brought Kieran and Megan closer together and their blissful union continued throughout their post-engagement retreat. But Sophie is set to return, which could shake up their relationship. Only time will tell if they remain strong and get married. Shereen Low is a senior news and entertainment writer for Grazia UK, who enjoys watching everything from Love Is Blind and Race Across The World to real-life crime shows and thrillers.
