Barcelona retain's eighth spot in World's Best Cities ranking

Barcelona has been named the eighth best city in the world for 2025, according to the latest report from Canadian consultancy firm Resonance. 

"The Catalan capital is as coveted as ever, but now it’s welcoming the world on its own terms," the World's Best Cities report said.

The city's "near-perfect weather, striking architecture and miles of golden sandy beaches within city limits" has made it a must-visit.

Barcelona was ranked eighth in the 2024 ranking, and sixth the previous two years.

"The big news, of course, is that after almost a century and a half, Gaudí’s famous church, the Sagrada Familia, is almost finished."

Another highlight mentioned by the guide is "Consell de Cent, 21 pedestrianized blocks that used to be a four-lane cross-town street, part of what is being called a 'green axis' urban park in an area popular with both locals and visitors."

Citing city mayor Jaume Collboni's total ban on short-term rentals as of 2029, the report said: "Barcelona is also no longer content with digital nomads, and is now aggressively securing massive foreign investment that will benefit the city over the long term."

In the guide's three categories, it ranked Barcelona sixth for both liveability and lovability but 38th for prosperity.

It also picked the Catalan capital as number one in the world for nightlife.

London was ranked the World's Best City for 2025 by the report, followed by New York, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin and Sydney.