Bristol Freshers’ Week 2023: essential events and offers

Bristol Freshers’ Week 2023: essential events and offers

Posted on: 15 Sep 2023

Ah, Freshers’ Week, or ‘Welcome Week’ as the University of Bristol likes to call it. A rite of passage and a guaranteed good time – if you know where to go.

 

It is a time to celebrate new beginnings and meet new people, offering you one short week to get to grips with Bristol, the place you’ll be calling home for the next three years. Big stuff!

 

Chances are, you’ve already heard that Bristol has a buzzing nightlife scene, but do you really know where to go? To point you in the right direction, we’ve collated a short list of all the exciting events (and drinks offers) taking place this Freshers’ Week.

 

Top student club nights:

 

Lost Track Of Time’s Freshers’ Week Boat Party at Thekla | The Grove, East Mud Dock, BS1 4RB

 

Bristol Freshers’ Week sees the launch of a new Wednesday night experience aboard the mighty Thekla – a real local nightlife institution. Featuring themed AV installations and décor throughout the boat, the main room will be brought to life with projections and inflatables.

 

The event lineup is action packed with the very best local and budding talent in disco, house, garage and more. Secure your ticket and browse the full music programme here.

The Fleece | 12 St Thomas St, Redcliffe, BS1 6JJ

 

The Fleece (another Bristol favourite) always has a busy schedule of club nights and live shows and this year’s Freshers’ Week is no different with two massive parties planned. First up, on Monday, is Shake It Off, a 2010s party filled to the brim with nostalgic bangers from the likes of One Direction, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and more.

 

The following day, there will be a University of Bristol EXCLUSIVE indie disco featuring non-stop anthems, huge student drink giveaways and more. UoB students grab your tickets here.

Full Moon & Attic Bar | 1 North St, St Paul's, BS1 3PR

 

Full Moon & Attic Bar is one of Bristol’s most dynamic venues, featuring a venue, club venue and food pop ups. Each Wednesday at the Full Moon is student night with a range of offers and discounts for the city’s newest residents.

 

These nights feature open DJ decks, £2.50 cans of lager and cider, £7.50 for 3 shots, 2 for 1 moonshine cocktails, 10% off any pizzas, a pool table, table tennis and live sports screenings. The venue are also running a new monthly night titled FAAB Thursday (beginning this week) featuring two rooms of DnB, garage, disco and house. Tickets can be found here.

BLED at Crofters Rights | 117-119 Stokes Croft, Cotham, BS1 3RW

 

If you’re looking to get acquainted with Bristol’s live music scene on your first week in the city, then why not make your way down to Crofters Rights on Bristol’s legendary Stokes Croft on Thursday evening for BLED’s (formerly known as Drag) EP release show?

 

A 365Bristol favourite, BLED are Bristol’s premiere self-described Crayola goths with infectious synth bass swells and 80s inspirations aplenty. Support comes from Finlay Shakespeare, VRGF and Sonotto. Secure your tickets from Headfirst for just £7.50 here.

Top student drinks deals:

 

The Blue Lagoon | 18 - 20 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8AE

 

One of the famous Gloucester Road’s top bars, The Blue Lagoon have a busy Freshers’ Week planned with a busy schedule of live music, a Big Freshers Jam Session, their regular open mic night, a Sunday pub quiz and much more.

 

They also have the astonishing offer £3.50 pints and 25% off all food throughout the week as well as a special Freshers’ Week cocktail, Mango Mayhem, available for £7 or £8.95 for two. Valid student ID will be required for these offers.

Lizard Lounge | 66 Queens Rd, BS8 1QU

 

With regular club nights, bottle packages and drinks offers, Lizard Lounge is a firm favourite with students looking for a good night out. Freshers Week at the Clifton Triangle venue will consist of Circus Tuesdays, Bristol’s longest standing sports night Time Out Wednesdays and the returning Impulse Fridays – full of crowd pleasing anthems.

 

Entry to all these events begins at £5, visit the Lizard Lounge website for more information.

Antix | 44 Park Street, BS1 5JG

 

A staple of Bristol’s late night party scene nestled halfway up Park Street, Antix is open until 4 AM most days, 5 AM Thursdays and 6 AM on Fridays and Saturdays. While they are not running specific student offers, Antix has plenty perks to make your freshers night out one to remember!

 

The venue offers free entry before 11 PM on Fridays and Saturdays as well as ALL NIGHT every other night. If that’s not enough, they also provide 2-for-1 drinks until midnight. To get more information, or to book a table, visit the Antix website.

The Coronation | Kingston Road, Southville, BS3 1DD

 

We’re closing this list with something a little different for the more adventurous first year students. Situated in the South Bristol neighbourhood of Southville, a short walk from the city centre, The Coro is a beloved community pub serving some of the cheapest pints in Bristol.

 

Some of the more mind-boggling deals include £5 cocktails, £2.70 for certain cask beers and ciders and much more. If that’s not enough, the pub also serves reasonably priced food, is home to two beloved cats and hosts a brilliant weekly quiz.

And with that, all that's left to say is welcome to all the new students descending on Bristol this coming week.

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Article by:

Stanley Gray

Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.