From the sparkling heights of its skyline to the underground clubs powering its nightlife, Birmingham just wants to have fun these days. Or so says the ‘2026 Europe’s Best Cities Report’, which ranks Birmingham 57th out of the most “most livable, lovable and increasingly prosperous” cities on the continent.
London is predictably first on the list, and disappointingly, Edinburgh (23), Manchester (27), Glasgow (51), and Bristol (56) all finish higher than the Second City, but there’s still plenty for Birmingham to be proud of. Most notably, with its European identity becoming a city of fun and for the future.
How are rankings decided?
Using a combination of core statistics from more than 400 global cities, alongside resident and visitor perception indicators, like user-generated ratings and reviews, the rankings are based on three key factors—livability, lovability and prosperity. This massive blend of data creates something Resonance calls a ‘Place Power Score’.
Among the many, many factors taken into consideration are things like walkability, weather, and public transport; popularity on Google Trends, TikTok and Reddit; the number of museums, galleries, shopping centres, and restaurants; and things like the rate of unemployment and GDP per capita; and so much more.
What does the ‘2026 Europe’s Best Cities Report’ have to say about Birmingham?
The areas where Birmingham performs best are its happening nightlife scene (ranked #23 in Europe), TikTok videos (#17), high-ranking universities (#14), and amazing theatres and concerts (#31). But from its sparkling skyline—like 49-storey Octagon or 51-storey One Eastside—to its classic pubs and underground clubs, “Few cities entertain like Birmingham”.
Looking to the future, the report also finds time to hype up Birmingham City’s 62,000-seat Powerhouse Stadium, which is “part of the nearly €2.8 billion Sports Quarter development that’s transforming nearly 55 hectares of East Birmingham, and more fuel on the fire for a city that welcomed nearly 24 million day visitors on average per year from 2023 to 2024, behind only Manchester and London.”
To read the ‘2026 Europe’s Best Cities Report’ head here.