The erotic platform Erobella has released its latest annual index, “World’s Most Sexually Liberal Cities 2026.” Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, once again tops the list of the world’s most sexually open cities.
There are, however, notable shifts this year: Canada’s Vancouver climbed from fourth to second place. The North English metro Manchester secured third, up from seventh the previous year, when it served as the filming location for “Queer as Folk.”
Germany’s best-represented city was Cologne, which landed in fourth place but slid down one notch. Berlin held on to sixth. Another German entry, Hamburg, narrowly missed the Top Ten, finishing in eleventh place.
As in the previous year, a total of 41 cities worldwide were examined. Four criteria are assessed, including the acceptance and integration of queer people. For instance, the index counts how many queer facilities or queer events a city offers, but anti-discrimination laws or whether transgender and nonbinary people are recognized also play a role. “The index lists the cities where sexual and gender diversity is not only tolerated but celebrated,” according to Erobella.
Other criteria include the topic of sex work — such as the legal status of sex workers and their clients, as well as the density of advocacy organizations and mutual-help groups for sex workers. Reproductive health is also measured, including access to contraception and whether abortion rights exist. Finally, the “Adult Lifestyle” factor is included, measured by per-capita density of sex shops and erotic offerings.
On the LGBT front, Cologne scores 61 out of 100 possible points, placing third — better results were only recorded by San Francisco with 70 and Manchester with 62. Berlin registers 51 points, Hamburg 43.
“Cologne per capita is in a league of its own”
“That Cologne ranks ahead of Berlin surprises many — but it is consistent. The legal framework is equally liberal across Germany; the difference is the density of queer life. And Cologne per capita is in a league of its own,” explained Marie Kressund, a spokesperson for Erobella. Hamburg illustrates how close the standings remain: “St. Pauli and the long tradition of the Reeperbahn no longer suffice for the Top 10 in 2026 — not because Hamburg has become worse, but because cities like Glasgow and Paris have caught up.”
At the bottom of the list overall are Cape Town, Tokyo, and Moscow in last place. Also in the LGBT subcategory, Moscow finishes with a single point, earning the red lantern.
US Cities Suffering Under Trump and Co.
The nine US cities in the ranking are fighting under the current administration: while Erobella notes that nearly all have a vibrant scene, the difficult political environment is constraining them. Not a single US city scores points for its sex-work legislation, and abortion ratings have remained low nationwide due to tightened rules. The clearest example is Miami: the city is the only one to achieve the maximum score in all four Lifestyle categories — per-capita counts of sex shops, gay bars, LGBT events, and queer events — yet ends up at only tenth place because it records zero points for gender-affirming care, anti-discrimination protections, and sex-work laws.
The best US city is San Francisco, ranking fifth, buoyed by its strong community networks and the highest density of sex-work organizations in the entire ranking. Behind that, a gap appears: New York, despite its liberal reputation, is only 32nd, while Houston and Dallas sit in the lower third. The takeaway for the United States is thus: infrastructure and visibility are world-class, but the legal framework lags far behind.
