10 Best Party Cities in the UK
Some many Uni’s boast of the amazing nightlife to attract students, but do you know whether your Uni city or town really makes the cut? We’ve collected the data from The Student Nightlife Index and our results are in! The main factors under consideration were:
- The variety of nightlife options (the number of different bars, clubs and music venues)
- How safe the city is at night
- The average price of a pint
- The average cost of the taxi home
- The variety of drunk-food options (the amount of different fast-food places open late)
Find out if your Uni city or town is on the list, or if you need to plan a road trip!
10. Birmingham
With a whopping 335 fast-food takeaways to choose from, Birmingham is the leader when it comes to the late-night kebab or burger. In terms of the nightlife menu the city is full of treats, such as the Midlands’ only retro & soul venue, themed gin bars and fancy-dress nightclubs. Broad street, in particular, is a booming location for Birmingham’s student crowd. With those choices, and all of their late-night food options, Birmingham really does cater for everyone.
9. Bristol
With a reputation as being very alternative and ultra-cool, Bristol offers a mega night out. Bristol has a range of nightlife hotspots to choose from. From the cobbles of King Street to Clifton, harbourside to Stokes Croft, there is a vibe for everyone. Though a bit pricey for a pint, spending a night in buzzing Bristol makes it worth it.
8. Stoke-on-Trent
Bars in Stoke-on Trent are cheap and cheerful, and very popular in the Uni scene. While you won’t find many up-market bars here, you will have great fun at low cost. Known for its rowdy stag-do’s and Uni dress-up nights, the nightlife is loud and lively. At just £2.95 a pint and taxi fares at just £1 per mile, this historic town is set to give you a night to remember.
7. Leeds
Renowned for being the raver’s capital, Leeds is home to 179 nightlife hotspots. Leeds is also home to one of the top 100 clubs in the world – Mint Club. Even with such coveted clubs, Leeds isn’t elitist and offers much more in its nightlife than just a lure for hipster-types. With its rooftop bars, spots bars, cocktail bars, gin bars and every type of nightclub you can imagine, Leeds is a memorable and diverse night out – albeit quite an expensive one, with pints going for roughly £3.50. For an edgy night, head out to a warehouse rave; for pints and pop, head out to the University of Leeds Student Union; for a more sophisticated evening, head out to the independent bars around Call Lane.
6. Newcastle
With 135 different nightlife options, Newcastle comes close to Leeds in this category. Although the price of a pint is similar to Leeds, Newcastle has one of the more expensive taxi starting fares of all these destinations – starting at £2. Newcastle’s enticing party districts are well worth spending a little extra for though. From the glitzy cocktail lounges and flamboyant LGBTQ+ scene to the chilled-out jazz clubs and microbreweries, Newcastle has something to suit any type of party person. Their 327 takeaway options, means that there are drunk-food choices for every preference too.
5. Sheffield
Nightlife in Sheffield is as vibrant as the countryside which surrounds this city. The main throng seem to crowd towards the city center’s main circuit of bars, there are pockets of happening nightlife dotted all over the city (some popular spots being the Antiques Quarter, Kelham Island and Ecclesall Road). At £3 a pint, with a respectable 193 takeaways to choose from, you won’t be left wanting on a night out in Sheffield.
4. Liverpool
The winner by a mile when it comes to nightlife options, Liverpool boasts a whopping 225 nightlight hotspots. With its history so steeped in musical genius, it makes sense that this city loves live music. As well as its love of live music, Liverpool also has a wide range of superclubs, concept bars, edgy warehouses and good old-fashioned pubs. No matter what you’re into, a night out here is ‘boss’ (as any Scouser will tell you).
3. Chester
Despite only being home to 50 nightlife venues, Chester has a good enough range to suit any vibe. Whether you want a night out in a lively bar or a glamorous club, with the highest safety rating of these top 10 destinations, Chester is a great place to go out as a Uni student. The price of a pint isn’t too bad here either, at just under £3 on average.
2. Derby
With £3 pints and 72 different nightlife locations and 149 takeaways, Derby holds its own as number 2 in this ranking. There’s always something happening in Derby, no matter the hour. The nightlife of the city is really student-friendly, with most students gravitating towards the Sadler Gate area for pre-drinks before moving on to the nightclubs in the centre.
1. Huddersfield
The fact that this town in Yorkshire has even beat out its home-county’s Leeds by six places speaks volumes about the kind of good nightlife you can expect in Huddersfield. In Huddersfield, a pint will only set you back £3.05, and there are 163 different takeaways offering late-night feasts to help you soak up the effects of those cheap pints. This Yorkshire town may seem small, but there are still 31 different nightlife options; it is also one of the highest-ranking places for safety and a cheap cab fare home.
Thus, it’s obvious that your night out in Huddersfield won’t just be fun, it will also burn less of a hole in your student finance.
Surprised by the top 10? We were, until we thought about it some more.
Even with its wealth of bars and clubs (a whopping 1,326 bars and nightclubs), it makes sense that London hasn’t got a look in. With the average price of a pint close to double what you would expect to pay up north, it’s hardly surprising. In fact, with not a single destination from the South making it onto this list, it’s clear that Northerners know nightlife best.
So, whether you’re into nodding your head to some hipster electro beats, jumping up and down to some good old cheesy disco, or going full on mosh pit with some heavy metal, get yourself and your mates along to some of these top nightlife spots. Just remember that, even though the pints are cheap, you do need to keep some money aside to pay your student utility bills!