ING ranks Europe’s most talked-about cities
Aerial photo of Victoria Square in Birmingham city centre. Picture shows (from left): Victoria Square House, One Victoria Square, Town Hall, Council House and Alpha in the background(Image: West Midlands Growth Company)
Birmingham has been named as one of Europe’s fastest growing cities despite recent turmoil and unwanted headlines.
A new study that looks at how much cities are talked about praised Brum’s “vibrant” cultural scene, “well-defined” civic identity and ambition for the future.
The report comes from consultancy ING, which ranks Europe’s most talked about cities every year, measuring online mentions from news outlets, digital publications and social media.
The ranking is used as an indicator of how visible cities are in the online conversation, which in turn is linked to their overall success in attracting tourism, investment and business.
This year’s report expanded from 60 to 70 cities Europe-wide, which ING says is a reflection of the fact that more places are generating enough attention to compete than ever before.
But despite the tougher competition, Birmingham actually climbed two places – making it one of the ten fastest rising cities overall.
The city now sits ahead of larger capitals such as Prague, and well-known European hubs including Oslo, Copenhagen and Rotterdam.
“Birmingham is the UK’s youngest and most diverse major city, and that profile feeds a cultural scene that is far more vibrant than its national visibility often suggests,” the report reads.
“Major city centre reconfiguration, new public spaces and better integrated transport are bold signals of intent and momentum to the outside world.
“This energy sits alongside a well-defined civic identity: being ‘Brummie’ is rooted in pride, resilience and a long lineage of creativity.
“The passing of Ozzy Osbourne, one of Birmingham’s most globally recognised and beloved figures, brought that identity into sharp focus in 2025.”
Looking ahead to the future, it also pointed to HS2 and the city council being back on a “stable financial footing” as positive signs.
“Birmingham is presenting itself more clearly as a place of ambition and
collective purpose and conversations about the city increasingly reflect that shift,” it said.
Lucie Murray, head of cities at ING, said Birmingham’s climb in the ranking “reflects a city that’s actively reshaping both its reality and its reputation”.
“Birmingham’s cultural legacy has become more visible,” she continued.
“The global tributes following the death of Ozzy Osbourne in 2025 sparked renewed attention on the city’s contribution to music, reminding the world about Birmingham’s global cultural impact.”
Damian Wild, managing director at ING, added: “In a year when competition intensified and many cities fell back, Birmingham moved forward on both counts.
“After a period caught in the headlines for the wrong reasons, the focus is finally focusing on the city’s many strengths, and rightly so.”
Europe’s 10 top most talked-about cities overall, according to the study, are as follows:
- Paris
- London
- Madrid
- Rome
- Milan
- Barcelona
- Berlin
- Amsterdam
- Brussels
- Valencia
Manchester and Liverpool came in at 11th and 14th place respectively, while Birmingham was 27th overall – just a few places behind the likes of Porto, Budapest and Edinburgh.
The 10 fastest-rising cities in this year’s rankings included Manchester, Porto, Munich, Budapest and Hamburg.
Ahead of local elections in May, the leader of Labour-run Birmingham Council suggested that “great days” could be ahead for the city.
Asked what Birmingham Labour’s message will be to voters, Councillor John Cotton said: “It needs to be about the great opportunities here in this city.
“We are the youngest and most diverse city in the country.
“We know we’ve got problems when it comes to unemployment, too many people still feel locked out of growth in this city.
“That’s the bit we’re going to now focus on fixing, creating those pathways to those jobs in the growth industries – whether it’s life sciences, creative industries, advanced manufacturing.
“Great days ahead if we seize them and work together at all levels of government – and also with businesses and communities in this city.”
Factors such as the equal pay and Oracle debacles contributed to the recent financial strife at the council while Labour councillors have argued that funding cuts during the previous Conservative government played a role.
