Whether you’re a first year or a fourth year, being a uni student in Nottingham inevitably means a visit to the city’s clubs. From DnB dominated dancefloors to the cheesiest hits ever made, the nightlife here caters for a wide range of tastes, so if anyone’s lost on where to go for a night out then this guide could hopefully be of some help.
Ocean
It’s a rite of passage to experience Ocean as a Notts student – the only student nightclub in the city, Ocean is bound to offer you a fun night… with an inevitable side of drama as you bump into everyone you know. The questionable music, particularly with every night ending with You Raise Me Up by Westlife, gets everyone in good spirits, and if you get past the carpeted (I know!) floor and VKs you’ll appreciate it for all of its cringiness.
Rock City
Your experience at Rock City is pretty much defined by the night that you go on. Wednesday (aka Crisis) is the day where it’s sports galore, and you’re sure to find some people in some interesting costumes. Yet I do find the repetitive playlist (I don’t even think it’s been changed since before covid) slightly unbearable at times. And, even as a local myself, I tend to avoid the club on any day other than Wednesday, as you do find the middle-aged club goers to create some uncomfortable moments at times.
Rescue Rooms/Stealth
This is the definition of best of both worlds – Rescue Rooms offers you the best indie bangers (an honourable mention to the Bodega’s Indie Wednesdays can also be given here) whilst Stealth is very much drum and bass based. I’m a Rescue Rooms fan myself, and I find it to be more of a chilled-out night which is always good for a change.
I would definitely recommend trying this one!
Unit 13
I’ve only recently ventured into the world of Unit 13 Fridays, and from the couple of times I have been, I love it. The close proximity of the RnB room and the main floor, playing typical remixes of pop songs switched up a bit by the DJs, allows you to have a bit of a change if you fancy it. Although I do find it a tad overpriced at the bar, so maybe this isn’t a place to take a weekly visit to.
Pryzm
I left this one till last as I haven’t gone back here since first year – Pryzm is the definition of a musical maze as it spans about 3 floors. Whilst there is an array of music played from mainstream club music in the main floor and tikki bar, RnB in the curve room and throwbacks in the vinyl room, I think it’s safe to say I’ve had too many bad experiences in here to enjoy it anymore…
Whilst this doesn’t include all of Nottingham’s clubs, hopefully it provides a brief overview of each one – even if it may be slightly biased.