Accra has been ranked 18th among the world’s best nightlife cities in Time Out’s latest global ranking, placing Ghana’s capital ahead of Singapore and Mexico City.
Bangkok claimed the top spot, followed by Berlin in second, New York City in third, Melbourne in fourth and São Paulo in fifth.
Medellín ranked sixth, while Johannesburg was seventh, making it the highest-ranked African city on the list. Brighton placed eighth, Beijing ninth and Amsterdam completed the top 10.
Further down the ranking, Porto came 11th, followed by Hong Kong in 12th, Athens in 13th, Madrid in 14th, Hanoi in 15th, Seoul in 16th and Bengaluru in 17th.
Accra occupied the 18th position, ahead of Singapore in 19th and Mexico City in 20th.
According to Time Out, the ranking was based on feedback from local residents on factors including nightlife quality, affordability, community, safety, excitement, diversity and how welcoming their city is. A panel of Time Out city editors, culture experts and things-to-do specialists subsequently selected the final ranking.
Accra recorded a 56 percent rating for the quality of its nightlife, while 62 percent of residents surveyed considered the city’s nightlife affordable. Live music and getting a drink each received an affordability score of 67 percent.
The capital also scored strongly for its social atmosphere, with 75 percent of locals saying it was easy to find community in Accra, while 65 percent described the city as welcoming and friendly.
Time Out highlighted Accra’s established nightlife scene in Osu, as well as the growing activity in East Legon and Labone. Venues cited included Republic Bar, Bloom Bar, Purple Pub, Front Back, Mad Club and Heritage Craft Brewery.
The publication also noted the emergence of specialised nightlife experiences, including alternative and electronic music spaces, members-only venues, cultural events and themed parties.
Accra was the only Ghanaian city featured in the top 20, reflecting Time Out’s methodology of including only the highest-scoring city from each country to ensure global representation.
