24-hour Cities: The Cities That Never Sleep

Sleep is an important part of all of our lives, but every once in a while, we need to break loose and hit the town for a night. However, not all areas are ideal for those wanting to stay out partying until the early hours of the morning, and it can be frustrating if you’re living somewhere that doesn’t suit your preferences.

While great nightlife and a 24-hour public transport system can be useful, they also bring increased noise, making it hard to fall asleep if you’re not joining the party. For those of us trying to stick to a sleep schedule, it can be particularly frustrating when your sleep is interrupted by loud crowds.

You’ve probably heard of certain places being referred to as “the city that never sleeps”, but we decided to find out where that really rings true. We researched cities around the world to create an index of the busiest 24-hour party cities, ranking them on clubs, public transport, Google search volume for parties, and more.

Curious to see if your city makes the list? Read on to see the 24-hour cities with the busiest nightlife around the world, and to find out how you can get better sleep in a bustling city! Don't forget to check out our tips on avoiding a hangover, too...

The top 24-hour cities in Europe

Europe is known for its tourist resorts that play host to thousands of party animals every year, so the nightlife hotspots can be particularly hard to sleep well in. Here are the 5 cities that topped our rankings:

1. Ibiza, Spain

It’s perhaps no surprise that Ibiza ranks at #1 on our list of 24-hour party cities. It has a notorious reputation for its clubs and beach parties, making it the hottest holiday destination in Europe for nightlife.

When ranked on Google search volume for parties, every other European city on our list averages about 20,000 monthly searches, while Ibiza clocks in with a massive 823,000! With more than half its hotels ranking at 4 stars or higher (according to TripAdvisor), and more than 50 dance events, it’s the party capital of the continent.

2. Prague, Czechia

The Czech capital takes the second place spot in our rankings. While it scores highly across all our criteria, it’s a safety score of 75.5/100 (the third best in Europe!) that secures its place.

Prague is also host to more than 60 dance clubs and over a hundred party events. Add its cheap public transport costs on top of that, and it’s one of the best party destinations you can find.

3. Belgrade, Serbia

Serbia’s capital city, Belgrade, slides in at #3. Despite scoring well across the board, public transport is the main factor in giving it such a high ranking.

A public transport ticket in Belgrade can be purchased for the low price of just £0.36 (€0.43) – the lowest in any of our European cities! That means less money spent on travel, and more money spent getting into your favourite clubs and buying drinks.

4. Madrid, Spain

The second Spanish city to appear on our list, Madrid has the most dance events of our whole top 5 – with 247! Pair that with a high score on safety and more than 80 clubs to choose from, and you’ve got a top-notch 24-hour city for nightlife lovers.

5. Budapest, Hungary

Rounding out our top 5 list, Budapest is a great all-rounder that beats out the likes of Athens, Paris, and Lisbon. With 50,000 Google searches for local parties over the course of a month, it’s clear that the locals love a good night out at any of the city’s 33 clubs. Almost two thirds of restaurants in the city have a higher TripAdvisor score than 4 stars, too, making it a great pick for any foodies looking for a night out!

The top 24-hour cities in the USA

Europe isn’t the only place to hit the town, as America offers plenty of options for a great night out too. Looking for a party in the USA? Check out our 5 US cities with the most bustling nightlife:

1. New York City, NY

Probably the most famous “city that never sleeps”, NYC is notorious for its nightlife and its busy atmosphere around the clock.

With 610 nighttime events across the city, it racks up almost double the next most active city on the list! Plus, more than half of its hotels are rated four stars or higher on TripAdvisor, ensuring you can sleep in luxury after a long night taking in all the sights of the Big Apple.

2. Las Vegas, NV

I mean, is anyone surprised?

Nicknamed Sin City, Las Vegas is one of the most famous holiday spots in the world for nightlife seekers. It’s home to the renowned Las Vegas Strip, plenty of lavish casinos, and a range of restaurants.

Vegas boasts the highest Google search volume for parties in the whole country, with more than 100,000 people looking up gatherings in the city over the course of a month!

3. Boston, MA

While it might not be the first nightlife destination that comes to mind, Boston takes third place on our list of America’s best 24-hour cities.

Its restaurants and hotels are a particular strength, with just under half of its hotels scoring four stars or more on TripAdvisor, and 53% of its dining spots landing in the same range!

4. Austin, TX

If you’re looking for cheap travel to your favourite party spots, Austin offers some of the cheapest public transport on our list, with tickets costing just $1.50!

It scores high on our safety rankings too, and provides plenty of quality hotels, making it a strong choice for a more reasonably timed night out.

5. San Diego, CA

San Diego is known for its sun and sand, but safety is also one of its strong suits, as with a score of 60.27, it’s the second safest city on our standings.

We counted 70 events across the city, and a volume of more than 9000 Google searches for parties per month, making it a hotspot for anyone looking to soak up the West Coast sun before heading out to the club!

Top tips for sleeping in a noisy area

One of the most frustrating feelings when you’re trying to sleep is being interrupted by noisy neighbours or loud sounds outside. It’s tough to block the distractions out and switch your brain off for a comfortable night in bed; but luckily there are ways to combat the disturbances.

Looking to block out the sounds of nightlife while you sleep? Here are our top three tips on beating the noise:

1. Rearrange your room to block out noise

While it may seem drastic, consider moving your bed further away from any sources of noise like windows or thin walls. You could also put up heavy, sound-blocking curtains to make sure fewer interruptions drift in through your windows at night.

2. Wear earplugs

If you’re looking for a quick and easy solution to noise issues, look into buying some earplugs to block out any unwanted sounds at night.

There’s a range of plugs available to buy, ranging from cheaper disposable pairs to high-tech reusable ones if you’re looking to invest long-term in your sleep quality.

3. Try using white noise

Ambient noise can help mask over any unwanted interruptions, and it’s much easier to filter out when trying to get to sleep. There are a number of apps and devices that can play ambient sounds to help you get a better night’s sleep, with many offering other sounds such as rain or waves. It’s a matter of personal preference on what sounds work best for your sleep habits, so get out there and start researching what fit you.

Methodology

This dataset contains two rankings: one ranks 40 European cities, the other ranks 30 US cities, based on how much of a 'sleepless city' they are. To do this, 7 different factors were used. Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then normalised, to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then summed and multiplied by 14.3, to give each city a total score out of 100. The cities were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores.  

The factors used are as follows:

• City safety score - A score representing the safety levels in each city, according to numbeo.
• Parties Google search volume - The number of searches on Google Keyword Planner for the prompt "CITY + parties", between Oct 23 - Sep 24.
• Events - The number of events listed in each city, according to ra.co.
• Dance clubs - The number of results under the 'Dance Clubs & Discos' category, in each city.
• Public transport ticket - The price in each city for a one-way public transport ticket, according to numbeo (low values get a high score. High values get a low score).

• 4* Hotels - The percentage of hotels in each city, which are listed on TripAdvisor, that are rated 4 stars or above.
• 4* Restaurants - The percentage of restaurants in each city, which are listed on TripAdvisor, that are rated 4 stars or above.

All data is correct as of 06/11/24. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided. Conversion rate used: 1 EUR - 0.83 GBP