Exeter Night Out

We all know that nightlife is important as a student, and although Exeter cannot compete with London and some of the bigger student cities in the UK, there is still plenty on offer to you if you choose to live and study in the city. Best yet, Exeter One is just a short walk away from the Student’s Guild, the Lemon Grove (The Lemmy as it is affectionately known by students here), and Renslade House is close to a whole host of pubs and club nights.

nightlife in exeter

Legendary Student Nights

There is more of a feeling of a big town and a community than a big city for students living in Exeter, and this definitely helps to create a feeling where you get to become part of a family, see similar faces each time you go out, and make lifelong friends in a way that isn’t always possible in a big city with thousands upon thousands of students and countless clubs and student nights to frequent. There is such a high percentage of students in the city compared with the local population that it does lead to some really legendary student nights. The most famous nightspots of the lot is Timepiece – with its proclamation of being a ‘half decent nightclub’! Here, you’ll find your average club-goer mingling with students from one of the many societies. There is always a society night out at Timepiece, most days of the week! If you prefer an indie night, just around the corner from Timepiece is Cavern. For more of a cheesy student night, Unit 1 off Sidwell Street might be more up your street. Other places with popular student nights across the city include Rosie’s, The Terrace, and The Lemmy, whilst you can also experience some renowned parties and nights at clubs throughout the city if you are after dance music, including Exmouth boat parties!

Traditional Pubs

Some nights a pub crawl will suffice instead of a big night on the town, and Exeter can certainly cater for your needs. There are some proper historic pubs in the town to get to, with The Ship Inn one of the most famous. It was here that Sir Francis Drake used to drink after all! The Fat Pig and The Hourglass are just two of the fine gastro pubs to enjoy great ale and great food, with a number of other lively pubs around Fore Street to crawl through in your time in the city. Exeter One is just a short walk away from a cracking pub crawl in Exeter, ensuring that you have your home comforts close by, without needing to rely on late night taxis. Student friendly pubs such as the Victoria Inn, The Firehouse and The Imperial are firm favourites, and during the summer months Double Locks is a beautiful pub along the canal to visit, as is Turf Locks with its views across the Exe. For a different type of pub crawl just out of the city, Topsham is a treasure trove of pubs near its picturesque quay.

Live Music Venues

Live music has always played a crucial part in the history of Exeter as a student city, with the mythical status of the toilets at The Lemmy being the place where Thom Yorke wrote Radiohead’s breakthrough single Creep! There are several good live music venues in the city, including The Lemmy. The Great Hall is the largest to be found in the region and is host to touring rock bands, as well as regularly hosting Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. The Phoenix is an arts centre and a cultural hub within the creative scene in Exeter. It hosts all sorts of music genres throughout the year, from indie rock, to jazz, folk, blues, and dance music.

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