Hi Everyone!
My name is Eloise and I’m in my third and final year of my undergraduate Flexible Combined Honours degree. I study Film and Television and Geography, crossing the arts and sciences disciplines. I’m based at the Streatham Campus of the University of Exeter, but I am originally from Sussex.
The city of Exeter is sometimes labelled as being “void of any good nightlife”, so I am going to tackle this assumption and illustrate how vibrant and varied Exeter’s nightlife really is! I’ll guide you through the clubs Exeter has to offer, highlighting their individual, unique vibe, as well as outline some of the biggest events that rock Exeter’s grounds each year. If you are keen to know what really happens when the sun sets in Exeter, then read on…
Student nights
The popular one:
Wondering which night out is the biggest each week? It’s possibly no surprise that it is a Wednesday – this is a notoriously popular night to go out for many universities across the UK, often referred to as ‘Sport Night’. Since the University of Exeter is quite a sporty university (currently sitting 4th in the British University and Colleges Sport league), it should come as no surprise that this is the most anticipated night out. This is always held at Timepiece Nightclub in the city centre – the event commonly known as ‘TP Wednesday’. Tickets for this night are known to be hard to snatch up, often selling out within minutes – Exeter has become TikTok famous for this issue, and, unfortunately, this is a myth that I cannot bust. But it does prove that the myth that Exeter has ‘no nightlife’ doesn’t stand true!
Snowsports powerhouse:
Snowsports clubs at universities have often become synonymous with drinking and partying, and whilst there are several ways to get involved with the club without needing to touch a drop of alcohol, the socials available are some of the best around!
Pretty much every society and club at Exeter holds numerous socials throughout the month. Sometimes students dress up in costumes for a night out for socials that have a certain theme. Other times these socials are for a particular celebration, such as the end of semester one Christmas Dinner.
Snowsports boasts its own haul of student DJs that often provide the soundtrack to nights out. This gives us a great opportunity to support our friends whilst also discovering new and emerging talent. Sports clubs and societies often book out clubs in Exeter and fill them with their members for a night out, which is always great fun! Snowsports have frequently transformed Timepiece into an Après ski resort, with skis lining the walls of the bar and everyone dressed up in Après gear.
When the Snowsports club visits other UK towns and cities for competitions, there is often a great atmosphere at every location. For example, every February, the Gloucester Ski and Snowboard Centre hosts AJAM – the UK’s largest ski and snowboard festival! This night always promises good music from local DJ’s and upcoming artists, such as MPH and Anais.
Regardless of if drinking is not your thing, or if you’d rather ice in your drinks than under your feet, you’re guaranteed a boogie if you join a Snowsports event or night out. However, I have to admit that this isn’t your only option, as most societies and sports clubs offer good socials and nights out – that’s why they have social secretaries on the committee! So any sport or hobby you have will likely have their own calendar of planned events to get involved with throughout the year. Other societies known for a good night out are the Wine Society and the Beats and Bass society. Like Snowsports, the Wine Society often dishes out discounts for its members to attend major local events throughout the year – read more about these next…
Special events
EGB – the Enchanted Garden Ball is an annual event that is arguably the most anticipated of them all. Hosted in Shobrooke Park (just up the road from Exeter in Crediton), everyone dons their best smart / casual summer looks and heads to the estate and gardens. The fields are decked out with flags, banners, and fairy lights, with multiple food and drink stands dotted around the sides. The lake gives a stunning, glistening backdrop to take photos at sunset! There are several tents throughout the fields with a variety of music to keep you dancing until the early hours… there’s even a silent disco in the woodlands! It is a fantastic way to mark the end of the academic year and be surrounded by friends from all different parts of your university life, as this event is open for all years, no matter what your degree or society and sport affiliation is. The ticket usually costs around £70, with an option to add a return coach travel ticket for £10.
Hijacked and Yonder festivals – Hijacked is a local company that organises large scale music events in Exeter. Each year, the company sets up its biggest event not once, but twice… in May, the Hijacked festival takes place at Double Locks, just a 15-minute drive from Streatham Campus. Yonder festival is held at the same location in September, perfectly in time for Freshers Week. So, if you are craving a night out with a festival vibe start to your time at the University of Exeter with headline artists from across the UK, this is your best bet. Tickets are on sale for £50 and return busses are also available online for £7.50.
Party on the Beach / Party in the Castle / Party on the Boat – this is pretty much what it says on the tin! The beach party takes place in May and is about to run for the second year in a couple of weeks! For £22, the night involves heading down to the sandy beach of Exmouth (just a 15-minute train ride away). The boat party often sets sail from nearby Torquay and takes you on a journey around the English Riviera. The castle setting is none other than the nearby Powderham Castle… anyone enrolling at the University of Exeter for the 2025/2026 intake is in luck, as the next event is happening this September!
The clubs
Timepiece – this is Exeter’s most well-known club, nestled just behind the high-street. Its most popular nights include Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. There is a spacious downstairs area plastered with retro signs and posters. The Salsa society often perform here on a Tuesday night before heading upstairs to the main club area which houses the iconic art deco Timepiece logo, as well as a huge clock mounted above the bar. There’s a further floor, known to University of Exeter students as ‘top top’, which has its own DJ who isn’t a stranger to song requests (“queue ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’”…). For the downstairs area, tickets are sold online via the Fixr ticketing app for anywhere between £3-10. To gain access to the upstairs floors, it costs an additional £5 in cash. There’s even a two-storey pub across from the club called Old Timers (get the theme yet?). In between those buildings is a humongous outdoor smoking area complete with fairy lights, heaters, and its own DJ booth and, get this, a food outlet and bar! You can order a bottle of wine as well as a cheeseburger and peperoni pizza without leaving! The popular Venon drinks are £9 and all cups are reusable with a £1 deposit.
Move – this is my personal favourite. It is a more intimate setting located by the quay, about a 30-minute walk away from campus. This is the heart of Exeter’s underground nightlife. Two tunnels under the quay is all it has taken to create the best setting for any Drum and Bass, Techno, or House genre night out. From resident DJs to huge names, this club offers everything. In my first year, I went to this club to see one of my favourite DnB artists – Sub Focus! I have since seen him at Boardmasters festival, but in Exeter, I was only a couple feet away from him! In January of my third year, I got to see Skepsis, who is set to play at Forbidden Forest festival. Going to events at Move is a fantastic chance to get up close to your favourite artists and maybe even get a chance to meet them! Expect to pay a little bit more for popular artists – usually anywhere in the range of £15-30. For normal club nights, it is one of the more expensive options, ranging from £6-14.
Cavern – this is Exeter’s indie music night club, very popular for its Saturday nights. Think Kasabian, The Cure, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys… it’s all played here! A few times a semester, Friday nights become a really popular night to go here. Known as ‘Paradise Friday’, the club gets a makeover to turn into a tropical oasis, with student DJs taking over the decks. Their typical focus that night is on House, UKG and hard groove, which is an increasingly popular choice on nights out. Finally, Cavern also offers a night called ‘Cucucachoo’ every once in a blue moon. This is a night of colour and flair! The club transforms again, the blow-up palm trees substituted for neon paint and multicoloured lights. Recent themes have included ABBA, strong independent women, and 80s aerobics, with the aim of everyone turning up in brightly coloured and funky clothing! Keep an eye out for the free lollipops at the bar!
Fever – this club provides you with the basics: two rooms, loudspeakers, and good music. Room one is the DnB / House music room – dark, loud, with strobe lights and a honeycomb lighting fixture behind the DJ set. Room two is the pop music room with the likes of Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo being played. This one is also in the centre of town and is often popular with Freshers. You could say it is similar to popular nightclub chains like Pryzm. Tickets stay around £6 for most of their nights and there are frequent drinks deals here, such as £1.50 shots.
Lemongrove – this is the on-campus student night club, which is perfect if you are new to clubbing and want to test the waters, or if you live on campus and want to be able to get home quicker. This is often why first years are the most popular attendee here. Unlike the others in town, this club is for University of Exeter students only, so no one from the general public will be allowed entry, which is a great safety feature.
Phoenix – this is actually an events and theatre building just set behind the high-street. It often caters to larger events, such as a ‘Megasocial’ which is when multiple societies get together for one big night out. I’ve been to a few events here as part of a combined social with Snowsports, Windriders, Surf and Sail clubs. Recent events at Phoenix have had really high production standards, including a crew from Bristol bringing a laser show! The outside smoking area is also really good as it has several benches and pretty fairy lights draping between the walls.
Vaults – when the other clubs usually close at 2am, it is typical for Vaults to keep the party going until 3am! Often it has cheap entry and cheap drinks. It is conveniently located nearby Cavern, Timepiece and Phoenix as well as several bars like Ludo Sports Bar, the Botanist, and Coolings. There are often several drinks deals at this hour too! This club also has an inclusive attitude and is LGBTQ+ friendly.
Alternative options
Exeter is well connected to larger UK cities; Plymouth, Bristol and Cardiff are nearby cities that have bustling nightlife. Exeter is also only two hours and thirty minutes on the fastest train to London, but even so, there are plenty of events in Exeter to get excited about!
If clubbing isn’t your scene but you would still like to head out at night, the city has numerous options. Pub nights are becoming much more popular – for example Old Fire House has insanely good pizza and pints and is often full to the brim with university students. The Imperial is a huge Wetherspoons just five minutes away from Streatham Campus and houses an impressive beer garden, which is perfect for summer evenings when the nights are a bit warmer. Karaoke is a university staple, and places like The Stoke Arms often host societies for karaoke nights.
Boozy bowling at the tenpin bowling alley or pub golf around the city are other ways to shake up standard nights out. If pubs aren’t your thing, Exeter also has multiple bars, each with their own speciality. Take Artigiano for example, which hosts a jazz night every Monday, transforming its café and speciality coffee by day for expert mixologists and espresso martinis at night!
Nightlife in a nutshell
Hopefully I have debunked the myths that Exeter ‘has no nightlife’ by showing the various events and nights out that Exeter has to offer. From typical club nights to Exeter specific showcases, there is a rich diversity in Exeter’s nightlife that caters to all genres of music, all budgets and all interests.
I recommend that you explore as much of the nightlife that is available so that you can get a flavour for what events suit you best. If you’re looking set to join the University of Exeter soon, then I also suggest you download the app FIXR. This is a ticketing app that is used by most societies, clubs, and event organisers, so make sure you have this to hand so you don’t miss out – and so you have the best chance at nabbing one of those elusive TP Wednesday tickets!
See you on the dancefloor!