Are you heading to Leeds as a student this autumn? We’re here to help, with a guide to the best nightlife in Leeds to suit all tastes. We are always looking to help new and old students alike to find the best things about the city they are studying in, whether that is finding the most exciting things in Leeds for students, the best food, sporting events, arts, music, or culture. A bunch of people clinking glasses

What is Leeds like?

People from Yorkshire are always going on about how Yorkshire is the best place on earth. And people from Leeds are always going on about how it’s the best place in Yorkshire, so you do the math on that one and you’ll find it is one of the best places to be a student. If you love to party on student nights or with the locals, Leeds has a lot to offer students with its nightlife, since the locals are very welcoming to all those who come to study in the city. It’s no wonder so many students stay for years after university and make Leeds their permanent home. There is a real sense of community even for such a large city, and that is even felt on a night out. Leeds city at night

Leeds Bars and Pubs

The nightlife in Leeds is centred around the many great bars and pubs, with loads going on, from big brand chain bars to underground surprises and rooftop bars to use in the summertime.

Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen

Belgrave Street. LS2 8JP This is an epic bar, spread over three floors, with two bars, a roof terrace and great food in the form of Dough Boys for pizza and Patty’s Burgers. There’s live music, film, art, and it is a gorgeous venue that was first built in the 1930s. Belgrave Music Hall has it all and makes for a great night out that ticks a lot of boxes.

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Headrow House

The Headrow. LS1 6PU Another great venue, Headrow House is more than just a bar, this has a big beer hall to get your drinks in with large groups of friends, a brilliant roof terrace to soak up the sun when the weather is good, regular events for art and live music, and a fancy restaurant on site to boot.

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The Otley Run

Now, this is where we get serious about the bars and pubs in the city, with the Otley Run an institution for any student who lives in Leeds. These days, the Otley Run has expanded to include 19 pubs along the route, which makes Headingley a busy part of the city (it’s a thriving student part of the city anyway) and a party destination. You’ll see locals, stag-dos and big student groups dressed up in iconic fancy dress as they make their way along the route. It’s an epic part of the nightlife in Leeds. Just make sure you give your liver time to rest before you try it again a second time! People drinking at a bar

Student clubs in Leeds

With over 48,000 students in the city, Leeds has more than just pubs and bars, with loads of great nightclubs that are welcoming to students and offer a varied selection of scenes.

The HiFi Club

Central Road. LS1 6DE This is another club in Leeds that has been voted the ‘Best Nightclub’ and ‘Best Live Music Venue’ three times in the past at the annual ‘Leeds Bar & Clubs Awards’. It’s a welcoming venue, which hosts regular live music nights of all genres, including rock nights, hip-hop, soul and jazz. The owners have placed an emphasis on high quality music and sound systems, with a whole host of live events throughout the year.

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The Key Club

Merrion Street. LS2 8 LW Another live music venue that doubles as a club, The Key Club has plenty of alternative, rock, emo, and pop-punk music on the go at any given time. It prides itself on being a safe and inclusive venue that brings the best of the local alternative scene to the fore, so if you’re looking for that rock, emo, punk sound, get down to The Key Club.

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Mint Warehouse

Water Lane. LS11 9UD A 750-capacity warehouse club space that has brought the best and biggest names in house music, tech and D&B to Leeds over the last decade and more. There is something big on there most nights of the week, so you can go dance to the biggest names in your favourite genre, and although it isn’t the cheapest night out in Leeds, it is certainly worth it. Mint will give you some of the best times you’ll have as a student in the city.

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The LGBTQ+ scene in Leeds

There has been a good, safe LGBTQ+ scene in Leeds for many years, especially around ‘The Freedom Quarter’ which is the hub of the community.

The New Penny

Call Lane. LS1 7BT The oldest, continuous-running gay bar in Leeds (since 1953), The New Penny is a neighbourhood bar that has friendly and attentive staff, good drinks prices, and an alternative, diverse music playlist. There are regular themed nights and it’s a busy weekend venue with late-night opening hours.

Blayds Bar

Blayds Yard. LS1 4AD With a different theme every night of the week, Blayds Bar has a wide range of entertainment, with DJs, quizzes, happy hour drinks discounts, and a monthly yard party and cabaret night. It is a welcoming, safe space with cosy glowing lights and a dancefloor that almost always ends up spilling out into the courtyard, a happy, party venue that’s a big part of the LGBTQ+ scene in Leeds. Finding the top bars for students in a university town is often at the top of the list for those moving away to study. Leeds is a big night out, a large city centre, with a cosmopolitan attitude, and loads of different scenes to get involved with. We hope that we’ve helped put a few of the best nightlife in Leeds on your map, as you venture out into the big city for some nights out as a student. It’s a great city to live and study in, with plenty going on away from the nightlife too, so make the most of your time in Leeds, and if you have some recommendations of your own, feel free to give us a shout so we can update our records and keep the best things in Leeds in mind for future students.

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