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São Paulo’s nightlife has been named the best city in the world in a ranking highlighting the best cities in the world for 2026 based on how attractive they are to visit, live and invest.
Prepared by Resonance Consulting – a firm headquartered in New York, Brussels and Vancouver that works on strategy and marketing for cities – the 2026 World’s Best Cities list takes into account 46 different metrics.
Nightlife is one of them. The report also analyzes, for example, online reviews on sites such as Google, Instagram and TikTok, opinion polls (with 21,000 people in 31 countries, in which they talk about the cities they would like to visit, work or live in) and factors such as climate, economic indicators and the presence of large companies.
Considering all the factors, São Paulo appears in the overall list as the 18th best city in the world – the best in Latin America. The only other Brazilian city to appear on the list is Rio de Janeiro, at 42nd.
Sao Paulo jumped 57 places in the rankings, from 75th last year to 18th now. Rio de Janeiro moved from last place (100) to 42nd place. More than 270 cities in the world with a population of more than one million people were analysed.
São Paulo: Nightlife and Instagram
The top twenty are:
- London
- New York
- Paris
- Tokyo
- Madrid
- singapore
- pomegranate
- Dubai
- Berlin
- Barcelona
- Sydney
- Los Angeles
- Seoul
- Amsterdam
- Beijing
- Shanghai
- toronto
- Sao Paulo
- Hong Kong
- Istanbul
The rating is divided into three different categories, which measure how “livable” a city is (which takes into account factors such as traffic, climate, air quality, parks, etc.); how “friendly” it is (nightlife, restaurants, global perception, among others); And its level of prosperity (airports, presence of large companies, unemployment, universities, etc.).
São Paulo is well positioned in terms of “friendliness”: it is the eighth city. In the ranking of the most “livable” cities, it appears in 54th place. As for the level of prosperity, it is in 40th place.
The capital, São Paulo, was the champion on two measures of “friendliness”: nightlife and the city’s presence in Instagram posts. These metrics are based on users’ Instagram posts and ratings of places with nightlife activities on sites like Google and Trip.com.
In the case of Instagram posts, the total number of posts, including Reels, geotagged to a city and shared by residents and tourists on the platform is measured.
“São Paulo is back with its vibrant neon lights, and this momentum now includes lively nights, new restaurants, luxury shops and vibrant panoramas,” the Resonance report said.
“The city rises in our global ‘friendliness’ rankings to number eight thanks to the strength of its popular, award-winning nightlife (Villa Maddalena and Baixo Augusta come alive seven nights a week), a wave of Instagram posts that have reached number one of revitalized cultural corridors, and a food scene that remains in the top five in the world.”
The report also highlights restaurants such as DOM, Maní and Evvai – highly rated in the famous Michelin Guide – and the presence of international brands on Rua Oscar Freire and in shopping centers such as JK Iguatemi/Cidade Jardim.
“Urban regeneration is equally dynamic. The revitalization of the Anhembi neighborhood (new arena, hotels and modern convention centers by 2027) strengthens the events market on which Expo São Paulo is based.
Along the Pinheiros River, linear promenades and bicycle paths continue to be built, enhancing the flow of people on weekends to the waterfront, galleries and nightclubs.
Finally, the report highlights “the expansion of cloud computing and… fintechs About Faria Lima and Brini” indicating “the continued appetite for foreign direct investment, with new data center capabilities emerging and thriving in recent years.”
Rio de Janeiro: Mega Shows and the World Cup
Regarding Rio de Janeiro, which ranks 42nd on the list, the Resonance report says: “Rio is alive again – on the beach, on the stage and in the boardrooms.”
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The report highlights huge shows by Madonna, in 2024, and Lady Gaga, in 2025, which “pumped tens of millions into the tourism economy and reminded the world why Rio ranks 11th for nightlife and 11th for theater and shows.”
According to Resonance, international air access has also been improved for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Brazil.
“The city’s vibrant culture has finally gained international prominence with the return of the Roxy at Copacabana in 1938, where the Roxy’s Art Deco dinner show has been reborn with a four-hour live music show – while the long-defunct Museum of Image and Sound on the waterfront is due for completion in early 2026,” he says.
The consultancy also highlights the Museum of Tomorrow’s programming and the “urban renewal of the new Jazzmetro Stadium and Entertainment District,” which “enhances the waterfront already filled with restaurants and arts spaces.”
Other Latin American cities that appear in the ranking are: Mexico City (30), Buenos Aires (39), Bogota (51), Lima (65), Santiago (75) and Medellin (76).