Student's Guide to The Best Nightclubs in Bristol
For students down south, whether they are freshers or final year students, visiting friends or having friends visiting, there is always a need to find out the best nightclub Bristol has to offer.
Bristol has always been a vibrant city with loads of great local artists, local art and music, great culture and tradition, and a very friendly and welcoming city to students from all over the UK, from northern students to southern students and international students, there is something for everyone in this great city in the south-west.
For a night out, Bristol has always offered its students some great options, and that remains the case into 2024.
In the past, we’ve given you a list of the best bottomless brunch in Bristol, but for this we’ve put together some of the best student nightclubs in Bristol for you to try out, to wow your mates, and to have a great night of dancing and drinking.
The Lanes
22 Nelson Street, BS1 2LE
Our first nightclub in Bristol might confuse you at first as to whether it actually is a club. Maybe it’s a bowling alley? Or a bar? In fact, it functions as all three, making it a really fun and interesting student night out in Bristol.
It’s an arcade gaming and bowling alley during the week, but then over the weekend, it becomes a popular party club, with a great selection of themed nights and loads of live music.
You can drink, you can eat, sing in the karaoke booths, dance, and play at The Lanes, a unique student night out that has it all, and more.
You can start early with a group of you duking it out on the bowling lanes, grab a bite to eat before heading to the dancefloor or maybe grab the mic to sing some karaoke first.
There’s graffiti on the walls, craft beer on tap, and a whole tasty selection of cocktails to make your perfect night out. With more student halls being approved in Bristol, it’s great that there are such unique places for a big night out like The Lanes.
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OMG
Frog Lane, BS1 5UX
OMG is one of the biggest gay club chains in the southwest of England, and OMG Bristol, on Frog Lane, is open five days a week, with a wide range of entertainment and a lot of fun to be had.
You’ll see drag acts and drink from some of the best drink deals around (Wednesday night is student night with drinks from £1). It’s such a great place to have a fun night out, with a stage for drag performers and other performers, games, a podium for dancing, and a selection of booths that can be hired out for private events and for private hire for small groups of you and your friends.
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PRYZM
Canon’s Road, BS1 5UH
For fans of cheesy pop music or those who like to dance for a few hours to house music, PRYZM has an event and club night for everyone.
The venue is absolutely massive, with the night spread out over three rooms, great lighting and a modern sound system, giving you a night to remember every single time.
If you want to splash out you can get exclusive VIP packages, with every single week, with the latest house music, chart music, hip hop, R’n’B, and classic dance tunes.
The signature Belvedere Bar is the place to grab some drinks at the start of the night, with a pre-club cocktail bar if you want to lounge in elegance and chat with a drink in hand before you head out to the dancefloor.
The main feel of PRYZM though, is that of a big party, every time.
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Basement 45
Frogmore Street , BS1 5NA
Cheap entry, great tunes, and some fine drinks offers, Basement 45 is the old Mandrake on Frogmore Street.
Open five nights a week, after 10 pm, it’s a consciously cool basement bar and nightclub in Bristol that’s where you want to be seen.
The music to get you dancing ranges from dubstep to house and electronic, and the exposed brick and fairy lights make for a cosy, intimate night out with a few benches around the edges of this old cellar for you to take a breather, grab a drink and rest your legs during the night.
It’s low-key in a really cool and elegant way, and over the years has been host to some of the best DJs around, keeping the records spinning until the early hours. You can even learn how to DJ at Basement 45!
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Cosies!
Portland Square, BS2 8RG
Rum, reggae, and dancing. What more do you need for a big night out in Bristol? Cosies! has always been a super cool bar and club for students and locals alike.
It’s a basement micro-club with loads of live acts on throughout the year, studio sessions, themed club nights every week, and that quirky, select feel that only a small club like this can provide.
Student nights in the past have given really cheap entry, under a fiver for reggae, dub, garage, jungle, and drum & bass nights, and by getting along to one you’ll soon become part Bristolian, as this is a club that’s been a big favourite on the local scene for quite a few years.
It can get raucous and loud, a sweatbox of fun and dancing. With such a strong reputation for putting on some of the best DJs around, you’ll never experience a quiet night at Cosies.
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What is your own personal favourite nightclub in Bristol? We’re always keen to hear from you and to update our own recommendations to suit the tastes of the students in Bristol (we’re always happy to recommend the best nightlife for students in all the cities where we have student accommodation).
Going for a big night out at a club is a fun way to spend time with your mates, let your hair down and relax, and we’re really glad the Bristol student scene is so lively for you to enjoy.