The best student bars and clubs in Nottingham
Familiarise yourself with the best Nottingham student bars and clubs to ensure every night out during uni is absolutely killer.
Last updated: 3rd Oct 2025
Originally published: 12th Aug 2022
Nottingham attracts an absolute slew of ready-to-rock and rave students to its best student bars and clubs, and if you're part of this year's uninitiated, then have we got a list for you.
With some of the best spaces not only in the Midlands, but the country - AND with something for fans of pretty much every genre - whether your team 'Uni of' or 'Trent', there are places which you can all meld, mingle, and royally let loose.
So, if you want to be the one who leads your newfound pals to the best nights in your new city, then this is the list for you. Scroll down and check out all the best student bars and clubs in Nottingham below!
Nottingham student clubs
Photo: ROCK CITY / Facebook.com
Where: 8 Talbot St, Nottingham NG1 5GG
Rock City is widely regarded as the gem in Nottingham’s nightlife crown for a reason. In its 45 years as a venue, it's hosted everyone from Nirvana to Bowie, to Oasis, to Slipknot, and still pulls in some of the biggest acts going today. But once the stage lights go down, their Student & Club nights are what comes out to play: Tuned Thursdays deliver the ultimate student party with 2-for-1 drinks, Get Lucky Fridays pack out three rooms of pop bangers, and Rebel Rebel Saturdays fire through the best songs from every era.
It's iconic for a reason, and you don't truly get the right to call Nottingham home as a student until you've walked through its doors.
Photo: Rescue Rooms / Facebook.com
Where: Masonic Place, Goldsmith Street, Nottingham NG1 5JT
Rescue Rooms is one of those places you’ll keep finding yourself at during your uni years. Saturdays are all about Romance - Nottingham’s biggest indie club night, with 2-for-1 drink deals and free entry before 11. Wednesdays bring the quiz and karaoke (“where the questions are daft and the prizes are dafter”), and Fridays go off with Fandom - legendary Notts pop parties with nights like Taylor in Wonderland and Pink Pony Club leading the way.
Student heaven, and easily one of the best student clubs in Nottingham.
Photo: The Nottingham Secret Garden / Facebook.com
Where: 17, 3/4 Trinity Walk, Nottingham NG1 2AN
Hidden away, fully covered, and built for late nights, Nottingham Secret Garden is where the cocktail-and-contour crowd come to play. It’s all about looking sharp, drink in hand, and moving to house remixes that keep the floor alive. Think 2-for-£12 cocktails, beer garden raves, immersive playground vibes, and parties rolling into the early hours.
If that sounds like your scene, you’ve just found your spot.
Find events at Nottingham Secret Garden
Photo: UNIT 13 / Facebook.com
Where: Burton St, Nottingham NG1 4BT
Unit 13 is Nottingham’s heavy-hitting rave den. The main room holds 800 and comes armed with a Funktion-One sound system and LED screens, while the 200-cap side room keeps things tight and sweaty. From heavy bass hitters like Badger, Shy FX and the Crucast crew, to tech and garage groovers like KETTAMA and Silva Bumpa, the bookings are always stacked. If that’s your sound, you’ll feel right at home here.
Photo: The Level Nottingham / Facebook.com
Where: The Students’ Union Building, Shakespeare St, Nottingham NG1 4GH
The Level does it all. On one hand, it’s got a real knack for hosting intimate shows — with names like The Last Dinner Party, Renee Rapp, Ezra Collective, and Michael Kiwanuka on the books this year. On the other hand, it transforms into a full-throttle rave space, with Hannah Laing, Ben Hemsley, Pendulum and more tearing through the main room.
If you can get a spot on the balcony for the night, you've struck gold. But, whatever your vibe, The Level has a night for it, and it always seems to be someone you've been wanting to see.
Photo: Tunnel Nightclub Nottingham / Facebook.com
Where: 28 St James's St, Nottingham NG1 6FG
Loud. Intimate. Disruptive. The tagline pretty much sums up Tunnel. It’s a wicked little space in the city centre that fades from dark underground raves, groove-laden free parties, and afters for the likes of Groovebox, to straight-up classic clubbing where you boogie to 80s throwdowns, rap, R&B, and more. The space is as versatile as it is vibey, and a guaranteed favourite for anyone who calls Notts home.
Photo: Stealth / Facebook.com
Where: Masonic Pl, Goldsmith St, Nottingham NG1 5JT
If you’re serious about clubbing in Nottingham, Stealth is the spot. For over 20 years, it's been the go-to place to catch the biggest DJs around, and their bookings are consistently unreal.
Coming up, you’ve got Sigma, Locklead, Sim0ne and Ewan McVicar, while earlier this year they’ve already welcomed Malugi, Soul Mass Transit System, Bullet Tooth, L.P. Rystem and loads more. This is where the city’s dance music heartbeat lives, and its regular spot on the DJ Mag's 'Top 100 Clubs in the World' list speaks for itself.
Photo: The Brickworks / Facebook.com
Where: Newark St, Sneinton, Nottingham NG2 4PP
Out of sight and underground, The Brickworks is an intimate warehouse on the edge of Nottingham’s Creative Quarter. Consciously off the beaten track, it’s the haunt for the cool kids chasing a proper underground vibe. The bookings speak for themselves: Silva Bumpa, Dr Banana, Conducta, Mad Professor, Mella Dee. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s one of the most exciting raving spots in the city.
Ocean
Photo: trentevents.co.uk
Where: Greyfriar Gate, Nottingham NG1 7EF
The Big O is legendary for any who has called the city home as a student, mainly as it's strictly student-only. Nowadays, the club splits its nights between the two unis: Wednesdays for Trent (the official clubs and societies night) and Fridays for Nottingham Uni. If you’re after that classic, messy uni night surrounded solely by your fellow students, Ocean is where it’s at. Loud, chaotic, and unforgettable.
Nottingham student bars
Photo: The Bodega / Facebook.com
Where: 23 Pelham Street, Nottingham NG1 2ED
Bodega is one of those spots everyone ends up at, whether you’re a student or a local. The happy hour keeps the pints cheap until 7pm, but the real fun comes later in the week. Wednesdays lean indie, Fridays are all about Pop Confessions, and Saturdays see Shameless and the 00s take over.
Always buzzing, always brilliant, Bodega also has two of Nottingham’s best beer gardens for chatting. With multiple awards under their belt, The Bodega is the perfect all-rounder.
Photo: Das Kino / Facebook.com
Where: Das Kino, 22 Fletcher Gate, Nottingham NG1 2FZ
Pizza, cocktails, and party vibes all under one roof; Das Kino has nailed the student dream. It’s the home of bottomless brunch, £10 pizzas, and 2-for-1 cocktails from Sunday to Friday before 8pm, all housed inside a gorgeous Grade II listed building. A classic no frills night out or tasty midweek treat.
Photo: Billy Bootleggers Nottingham / Facebook.com
Where: 13-15 Weekday Cross, Nottingham NG1 2GB
Once Percy Picklebackers, now Billy Bootleggers, this “Americanish” dive bar is as fun as it gets. Think bourbon, cocktails, and a wild west mix of live music and club nights in an intimate, no-frills setting. The energy’s infectious, the entertainment never stops, and best of all? Their club nights are pretty much always free to get in.
Find events at Billy Bootleggers Bar
Photo: The Hockley Arts Club / Facebook.com
Where: 20a Carlton St, Nottingham NG1 1NN
Tucked into the Hockley Creative Quarter, The Hockley Arts Club doesn't feel like it belongs in Nottingham, more like a private members' club somewhere in New York. It's a spot where award-winning cocktails are put together with real flair, with the rooms themselves magically making it onto the Instagram story of everyone there.
When you’re after a night that feels a bit special, this is where you’ll want to go.
Photo: Nottingham Bierkeller / Facebook.com
Where: 15-17 Friar Ln, Nottingham NG1 6DA
Bierkeller is chaos in the best way. Steins bigger than your head, music you can’t help but shout along to, and the kind of atmosphere where everyone ends up on the tables by the end of the night. It’s not subtle, but that’s exactly the point - it’s pure, messy fun.
If we’re being honest, narrowing this list down wasn’t easy. Nottingham has way too many student bars and clubs worth shouting about. Whatever your vibe, whatever your budget, there’s a night out here with your name on it. If you’re heading to Notts for uni, you’re in for some unforgettable times.
And when you get a little stuck and think you've completed it all, Skiddle will be with you every step of the way, with our nightlife guide and cheap things to do in the city alongside the best events.
Want to start your first year with a bang at a massive bang? Click or tap here to find the biggest, wildest freshers parties.
Or, if you're heading to a different Uni and want to find all the best student bars and clubs in those cities, then click on where you're heading in the links below:
Birmingham, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton, Swansea
Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.
Header: Rescue Rooms / Facebook.com