Dubai tops 2026 list of world’s most beautiful cities at night

Dubai topped the list of the world’s most beautiful cities at night for 2026, according to a recent study by the digital entertainment platform JB.com. The study analysed a range of factors related to the beauty of cities after sunset including the level of safety during nighttime hours, the volume of interaction on social media platforms, the availability of evening tours and the number of high panoramic viewing spots.

Dubai ranked first globally thanks to its strong nighttime safety record, wide range of evening activities and experiences and strong social media presence. 

The study revealed that over 500,000 Instagram posts featured the city’s dazzling nighttime scenes, reflecting its immense appeal to both visitors and residents. 

Dubai also offers 111 sunset tours and 17 panoramic viewing platforms and locations to view the city skyline, giving visitors a variety of options to enjoy the nighttime views. 

The emirate recorded the highest score on the nighttime safety index at 83 points, making exploration of the city during evening hours a comfortable and safe experience. 

The study explained that the evaluation of cities was based on six key criteria, including the volume of Instagram posts related to night scenes, the number of viewing platforms and high towers, the availability of night tours, the levels of safety after dark, the levels of light pollution and the intensity of nighttime illumination in the sky. 

Tokyo came in second place globally, benefiting from the spread of its nighttime photos on social media and the availability of many elevated locations that allow viewing of the city skyline in addition to a wide range of evening tours and high levels of safety. 

Rome came in third, supported by the variety of nighttime experiences offered to visitors, recording the highest number of organised tours after sunset and having the largest number of viewing platforms among the top five cities in the ranking. 

In the fourth place came London, thanks to its strong presence on social media platforms and the diversity of its famous nighttime attractions, while New York came in the fifth place, benefiting from the fame of its skyline and the abundance of viewpoints that allow visitors to see the city at night.