Bangkok has been named the world’s best city for nightlife in 2026 by Time Out, rising from 13th place last year to take the top spot ahead of Berlin, New York City, Melbourne and São Paulo.
Time Out’s Best Cities for Nightlife 2026 ranking was based on a survey of more than 24,000 residents across 150 cities, combined with input from more than 100 Time Out editors and city experts.
The ranking considered factors including nightlife quality, affordability, sense of community, and whether cities feel exciting, lively, diverse, welcoming and safe after dark.
Bangkok received particularly strong scores, with 73% of local respondents rating the city’s nightlife as “good” or “amazing”. The same percentage said it was easy to find connection and community in the city, while Time Out’s expert panel gave Bangkok a 95% approval score.
Time Out highlighted Bangkok’s wide variety of nightlife options as one of the reasons the city deserved the top position. These range from rooftop bars and large clubs to neighbourhood cocktail bars, street-side drinking spots and late-night food outlets, as well as LGBTQ+ venues.
The city’s nightlife also extends beyond traditional entertainment venues, with streets and neighbourhoods becoming part of the experience.
Time Out highlighted Soi Nana in Chinatown, home to venues including G.O.D, Tep Bar and Ba Hao, as well as clubs such as Sing Sing Theater. New rooftop venues such as ÆTHER on the 44th floor of Dusit Central Park and Sato San on the 32nd floor of Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong were also in the spotlight.
Bangkok’s late-night food culture was another factor. Time Out noted that visitors can move between rooftop bars, neighbourhood venues and street-food stalls, including places serving dishes such as pad kaphrao late into the night. Silom was also highlighted for its LGBTQ+-friendly nightlife scene.
The world’s top 10 nightlife cities included in the ranking are:
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Berlin, Germany
- New York City, US
- Melbourne, Australia
- São Paulo, Brazil
- Medellín, Colombia
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Brighton, UK
- Beijing, China
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bangkok’s No. 1 ranking comes after the city placed eighth in Time Out’s broader list of the world’s best cities in 2026 and second among Asian cities.
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