A gorgeous seaside city that’s known for its eclectic charm, bohemian spirit, and rich history has been named the “happiest” in the UK. The latest best cities survey 2025 assessed desinations across the world to see where the locals feel the happiest and two UK cities made it to the final shortlist.
The survey was conducted by Time Out in which they asked over 18,000 city dwellers across the globe to find out how happy they feel in their hometowns. People responded to five key statements about personal happiness, the mood of others around them, and how joyful everyday life feels. Among them, Brighton secured the 11th place in the world, but emerged as the top ranked UK city on the list. Glasgow was the only other British city to join Brighton in highest rungs of the global happiness rankings, securing the 20th spot.
Brighton stood out as the only British city to make it to the list of the world’s best cities for nightlife, with an impressive 81 percent of locals rating its evening scene as either ‘good’ or ‘amazing’.
Its lively atmosphere is matched by its charming layout—featuring winding lanes filled with independent shops and cafes, a long stretch of pebbly beach, and the famous Brighton Pier.
Thanks to its compact size and pedestrian-friendly design, residents also voted Brighton the most walkable city in the UK and the third most walkable globally.
The survey also revealed that Brighton ranks as the third most diverse and inclusive city in the world. Often referred to as the UK’s gay capital, it stands out for having the highest proportion of residents identifying as bi, pansexual, asexual, and non-binary in England and Wales.
Brighton beach is immensely popular among the tourists for its live music, clean beach and several fish and chips shops.
One of the tourists shared the experience on TripAdcvisor and wrote: “What a lively spot! So much to do on the boardwalk and great people watching! The beach stretches for miles with lovely restaurants and cafes.”
Another one wrote: “This is a long stretch of beach along the sea, a place where everyone loves to take a long walk or a long bike ride. There is a lot of sand and people do take dips here, even though the water is usually cold. Lots of grand buildings and hotels on the land side.”
A third user chimed in: “We visited during the summer holidays and it’s the same old story, if you can be bothered to walk for an extra ten minutes you will find some really quite areas! I’m personally not a huge fan of the rocky beach but it’s still an amazing beach and well worth making the effort for a day by the sea! It is a very clean beach.”