Your Guide to University Nightlife in York

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About the author: My name is Cailin and I’m UniHomes' York Content Ambassador. I'm currently studying English and Related Literature at the University of York, and alongside my studies I also play water polo for the York women’s team and I'm the life drawing officer for the art society. Outside of uni I really enjoy all of the sports that make up triathlon, as well as painting and sketching, writing and cross stitching (and reading, but I think that comes with the territory of being a literature student); if you couldn’t tell, I like to think of myself as a collector of hobbies and sports and I love sharing my passions with others!

Clubbing and going out in York can seem quite overwhelming if you're someone who’s never done it before (or even if you don’t know the city very well).

To help alleviate any stress you might have, I’ve compiled all the knowledge about nights out in York that I’ve gained during my time as a student and laid it out to bring you some peace of mind.

Your guide to York nights out as a student

A fresh start

My first piece of advice is for Freshers in particular, and it's to try to do as much as possible outside of your comfort zone.

Coming from a very small town in the middle of nowhere, I had never been clubbing before, and Freshers' Week was my first real experience with the nightlife aspect of university. In fact, Freshers' offered me a whistle stop tour of most of York's ‘major’ clubs, so even if you think that clubbing might not be your thing, attending one or two of these nights allows you to experience it at least once in a very safe environment.

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When to go out in York

You'll find a few dedicated student club nights spread out across the week in York city centre.

During the week

One of the biggest nights is Salvation Wednesdays which are quite often dubbed ‘sport and society’ nights.

Many uni teams will play matches on Wednesdays and then go out in the evening at Club Salvation to celebrate a win; these nights create bonds between teammates and some of the best photographic memories (as there's often a theme for the night), and many a tourist has been met with waves of minions, farm animals and ‘rhyme without reason’ pairs on a Wednesday night.

We, of course, can’t forget Ziggy Tuesdays at Ziggy's, which feature a more indie playlist than the pop you'll find at places like Salvo.

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At the weekend

Salvation is also a popular pick for a Friday night, along with Flares which is right down the road. These two are a top choice because right in between them is a very convenient bus stop as well as a kebab shop with the best chips in York.

Sunday is also a big night, especially for college sport teams as matches are often held over the weekend. Revolution (restaurant by day, club by night) is located more centrally, right next to the River Ouse, so is popular on this day and across the whole weekend.

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York's LGBTQ+ nightlife

While York doesn’t have any dedicated LGBTQ clubs, Flares often collaborates with York University Student Union (YUSU) to host LGBTQ+ student ‘takeover’ nights, and also hosts recurring drag events and performances.

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York's pubs and bars

Mentioning the above clubs doesn’t even begin to cover the range of bars and pubs that York has to offer.

Stone Roses and Dusk are my two personal favourites, but everywhere has something new to offer – make sure you do some exploring by both day and night to make the best of your time as a student.

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Safety and accessibility on nights out in York

Being a university town, there are several bus services in York that are dedicated to helping students get around the city on efficient schedules.

There is also an exclusive University of York night service run by Firstbus which falls under the UN1 route and provides late night and early morning transport. This route goes through both East and West campuses, dropping students off very safely right outside student accommodation.

There's no shortage of Ubers if you feel like splitting the cost with a few friends or if you need to head home to a student house or private accommodation that’s slightly off the bus route. From my personal experience, the drivers are all very kind and respectful.

The universities and their colleges are also really great at setting up calmer and alcohol-free activities if clubbing isn’t quite your cup of tea so make sure to attend some of those if you want to make some friends away from the nightlife scene.

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Sort your student accommodation in York

Searching for the perfect student home in York doesn't have to be hard. Whether you're after somewhere that's on the doorstep of York's best nightlife spots or just around the corner from uni, UniHomes can help you find bills-inclusive student housing in York that's perfect for you.

Click here to look through our range of student accommodation York, including private halls, student flats and student houses.

This post is part of the UniHomes Content Ambassador programme, where current students across the UK share tips about student life in their city to help you make the most of your time at uni. Like these guides? Add UniHomes as a preferred source in Google with just one click by checking the box to see more expert content from our student writers!

Whilst you’re out having fun in your new uni city, remember that UniHomes promotes responsible drinking, and any alcohol products featured within this article are for ages 18+.

The views and opinions expressed in these blogs are those of the UniHomes Content Ambassadors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of UniHomes. UniHomes accepts no liability for the content of these Student Blogs.