IMPACT’S GUIDE TO NAVIGATING THE NOTTINGHAM CLUBBING SCENE

IMPACT’S GUIDE TO NAVIGATING THE NOTTINGHAM CLUBBING SCENE

By Ellie-Mae Davies

Moving to university comes with the wonderful task of exploring various aspects of a new city, one of which is clubbing. Impact’s new music editor Ellie-Mae Davies has put together this guide for navigating the clubbing scene in Nottingham. So, if clubbing is an activity you enjoy, have a read of this guide outlining what music each club plays, their specific student nights and general atmosphere so that you can make an informed decision about which clubs are worth visiting during freshers, and beyond…

Rock City

Arguably the most well-known club in Nottingham, a night out at Rock City is certainly one to be remembered. ‘Crisis’, held on Wednesdays, is their most popular club night and also is one of the ‘most exclusive student nights in both Nottingham and the UK’, with tickets selling out almost instantly. However, it is not the only club night that Rock City offers. They have ‘Tuned Thursdays’, also a student night, ‘Get Lucky’ on Fridays and ‘Rebel Rebel’ on Saturdays.

The club consists of three different rooms: ‘The Main Hall’ which plays chart toppers and pop bangers, ‘The Black Cherry Lounge’ which has a mixture of r&b, grime and hip hop, and ‘Beta’ which plays indie and alternative music and also has a great seating area. Overall, with its variation in music and different club nights, it is an excellent choice for a big night out in the city.

THE BODEGA

The Bodega is a much smaller venue compared to other clubs on this list, however, its cosier setting in the main club room certainly makes the atmosphere. The club is best known for its iconic club night ‘Indie Wednesday’, always featuring bangers such as Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand and anything by Sam Fender.

Wednesdays are not the only club night at Bodega however, as they also have the ‘Pop Confessional’ on Fridays, which has its own vodka confessional booth as well as blasting pop anthems all night, and ‘Shameless’ on Saturdays, playing 00s music. The venue also has a bar downstairs and a large garden area, perfect for taking a break whilst dancing the night away.

STEALTH & RESCUE

Finally, there is Stealth and Rescue Rooms, sister clubs of Rock City. Both venues put on legendary club nights throughout the week in more intimate locations for those who prefer a less overwhelming club experience.

Rescue Rooms puts on multiple great nights throughout the week, including club nights. They host ‘Rescued’ Saving Saturdays each week and put on their iconic indie disco. Also, Rescue Rooms holds ‘Request Line’ on Fridays, playing any song requests. As well as the main club room, they often have the bar and patio area open, making it an ideal place to take a breather.

Stealth specialises in electronic dance music. Like Rescue Rooms, it has one main club room and regularly has DJs playing the best DnBdnb songs. Their most popular nights are on Fridays and Saturdays but also host a Trent student night on Tuesdays.

PRYZM

Pryzm is another popular choice and part of a large chain of nightclubs throughout the country. It is located in the unique building with the large globe on top of it, and has three club rooms, ‘Main Stage’, ‘Disco’ and ‘Curve’. ‘Main Stage’ consists of house, DnB, techno and commercial, ‘Disco’ plays cheesy 90s and 00s songs and has its own disco dancefloor, and ‘Curve’ has r&b, hip hop, UK rap and urban music.

They feature club nights multiple days of the week including ‘Fix Fridays’ and ‘Lyfecode Saturdays’ with great deals on drinks. Pryzm also previously has put on very popular club nights such as ‘Quids In’ on Mondays where tickets cost just £1. Regardless of what day you go, Pryzm club nights guarantee cheap drinks and a great atmosphere.

OCEAN

Known for playing the cheesiest tunes and the music giving ‘year 6 disco vibes’, Ocean is another contender for one of the biggest clubs in Nottingham. Ocean hosts weekly student nights for both Nottingham universities. The Nottingham Trent student night is held on Wednesdays and the University of Nottingham student night is on Fridays.

Another feature of Ocean is its distinct carpeted floor throughout the venue which always surprises freshers on their first visit. The club’s unique features mixed with musical variation, like the iconic Baywatch theme tune as well as plenty of noughties hits, make it an unmissable visit when living in Nottingham.

UNIT 13

Having opened in 2021, Unit 13, or ‘Unit’ as it is called amongst students, is another club in the heart of the city. Unit specialises in rave and festival music and has had a lot of brilliant artists perform and DJ at the venue, such as Chase & Status and Jax Jones.

Located in an industrial warehouse, the venue has two club rooms, ‘LG1’, the Main Room which plays house, techno, dnB and disco, and ‘LG2’ which features r&b, grime and hip hop. The club’s most popular nights are on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays bringing the public a mix of the best clubbing music.

INK

Only reopening during last freshers in 2022, Ink is the newest club in Nottingham, located in a grade 2 theatre building. The venue has 4 club rooms, as well as 8 bars, with each room playing different genres of music, giving students a lot of musical variation. The main room, ‘The Complex’, plays house anthems, ‘Neon’ has DJ’s playing DnBand techno, ‘Cocktail’ consists of the best nostalgic hits and disco classics, and finally ‘Parlour’ plays both old and new r&b and hip hop.

Not only does INK play a mixture of excellent music, but its visual and sound technology is spectacular in itself, maximising the club experience. INK has held a variety of club nights, particularly during their opening week, but they regularly host ‘INK Saturdays’.