What makes a city great? If you’re Resonance Consultancy, who describe itself as “the leading global benchmark of perception and performance for urban economies”, it comes down to three things: lovability, livability and prosperity. What that means is:
- The quality of a city (green space, healthcare, housing, air quality, etc.)
- The vibrancy of a city (nightlife, shopping, museums, restaurants, etc.)
- The wealth of a city (companies, universities, airport, GDP, poverty and unemployment, etc.)
To compile its Europe’s Best Cities 2025 list, a combination of core statistics and user-generated data from online sources such as Google, Tripadvisor and Instagram was used. There’s way too much data to go into here, but the most important thing is that, yes, Bristol made the list.
Why is Bristol one of Europe’s Best Cities?
Coming other UK cities, London (1), Edinburgh (12), Glasgow (28), Birmingham (30), Liverpool (32), Manchester (36), Leeds (47), Oxford (56), Sheffield (57), Southampton (61), Belfast (66)—with nearly a ⅕ of Europe’s Best Cities dominated by the UK—Bristol came 67th. Among Europe’s Best Cities, it was noted for its high-ranking university (10th) and low unemployment rate (10th).
“Much like Manchester, Bristol is going all in on creative industry and capital over the next few years, nowhere more so than with the planned 2026 opening of YTL Arena at Brabazon Hangars on the city’s former Filton Airfield. The 10.5-hectare facility’s middle hanger is so massive that it could swallow London’s O2 arena. A convention centre is planned for the east hangar, while the west will serve as a food hall, work spaces and leisure facilities.”
Other highlights include its carbon neutrality as the 2015 European Green Capital, Bristol’s rising culture thanks to the reopening of Bristol Beacon, and the opportunities from the opening of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, an hour out of the city. The recent opening of the Vertical Energy Centre—the UK’s most advanced aerospace battery facility—also gets a mention, as does Bristol’s airport.
Europe’s 10 Best Cities:
- London
- Paris
- Berlin
- Barcelona
- Rome
- Madrid
- Amsterdam
- Vienna
- Prague
- Stockholm
To see Europe’s 100 Best Cities head here.