Every year, TimeOut releases its "definitive" ranking of the top 50 cities in the world.
After barely making the list in 2024, Vancouver is entirely absent from the class of 2025.
According to TimeOut, the top five "best cities in the world" this year are Cape Town, Bangkok, New York, Melbourne, and London. Only one Canadian city, Montreal, made the list. The Quebec metropolis came in 44th place.
Among the attributes the magazine analyzed were the food scene, nightlife, affordability, culture, safety, walkability, access to nature, and vibe.
"Every year, we take the pulse of city living by quizzing thousands of locals across the planet about life in their hometowns," TimeOut wrote. "This year, more than 18,500 city-dwellers shared their insights."
Along with locals, the magazine asked its "global network of city experts" to cast their votes.
Cape Town was lauded for its "history and cultural significance," as well as its natural beauty and relatively cheap prices.
"Cape Town scored highly across the board," TimeOut said. "Ninety-five percent of Capetonians gave the city's food scene a high rating, 82% would describe Cape Town as beautiful and a whopping 97% of locals said their city makes them happy."
In 2024, TimeOut ranked Vancouver 50th, but gave the city a glowing review.
"Locals flock to beaches and events such as the Celebration of Light fireworks extravaganza, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and Khatsahlano, a street party in one of the city’s most photogenic neighbourhoods," the magazine wrote, drawing attention to the vibrant Asian food scene.
Despite being a world-class city, Vancouver has suffered from a major affordability crisis and a overall lack of excitement. One writer for the Huffington Post described it as "gorgeous," but a "black hole of boring," and over the years it has earned the nickname "No Fun City."
As residents of Sydney, Taipei, Cape Town, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, and even Seattle rang in the new year with elaborate, family-friendly parties, for example, Vancouverites were left yet again wondering what to do.
This has become commonplace in the city, with goings on few and far between.