Things to do in Nottingham: a student's guide

Wondering how you'll spend your downtime as a student in Nottingham? Good news: between its legendary nightlife, fantastic foodie scene and plentiful green spaces, you won’t be short on things to do.

Whether you're after a culture fix, a proper night out or just a place to take your friends for dinner, this guide runs through the best things for students to do in Nottingham. Let's get into it!

TL;DR: Nottingham is a city with a big student appeal. The nightlife scene is legendary with iconic venues like Ocean and Rock City, as well as a host of great live music venues. The food scene is seriously underrated too, with markets like Bustler Food Hall, plus local spots like Junkyard, Yamas and Bunk. There are loads of nice parks to unwind, and the Hockley-Lace Market area is a real hotspot that’s great for wandering.

Arts & culture 🎨

Nottingham punches well above its weight culturally, and the best part for students is how much of it is free. From contemporary galleries to one of the most respected theatres in the country, there are plenty of ways to get your taste of culture in Nottingham.

Art galleries

For free contemporary art, Nottingham Contemporary in the Lace Market is the obvious starting point. It is one of the largest contemporary art centres in the UK, with rotating exhibitions and free entry (note: it's closed on Mondays).

Over in Hyson Green, New Art Exchange is the UK's largest gallery dedicated to culturally diverse art and is also free. For something tied to student life, Lakeside Arts on the University of Nottingham campus combines galleries, a theatre and museum, all free and easy to reach if you're studying there.

Performance venues

Nottingham Playhouse is the city's flagship theatre, and a serious one at that. It’s previously been named Theatre of the Year and puts on a mix of major and indie shows, as well as comedy, tribute bands and creative workshops.

Just down the road, the Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall handles the bigger touring productions. With theatre, comedy and live music on the cards, you’ll definitely want to check out their events calendar – and make sure to save with their special under 26s tickets.

Independent cinemas

Broadway Cinema in Hockley is the city’s indie film hub; we’re talking arthouse releases, cult classics, mini-festivals and a proper café bar to relax afterwards.

It offers student tickets at £9, as well as a membership that brings prices down to £8 and gets you a discount on food from the bar. This makes it affordable compared to the big multiplexes, plus it’s a great spot to meet other students who take their films seriously.

Food & drink 🍝

From delicious American diner-style dishes to naughty-but-nice desserts, Nottingham is host to a fabulous range of mouth-watering eateries. We’ve included a few of our favourites below – check out our full guide on Nottingham’s best restaurants to discover our official top 10.

Restaurants

Junkyard is home to tasty American diner dirty food and great craft beer. Think burgers, tacos and loaded fries, all washed down with a refreshing pint. For wings and cocktails on the cheap, Midlands favourite Bunk has three spots in the city centre and is a reliable shout.

Yamas does Greek and Turkish-style tapas with three small dishes for around £15, while MemSaab is the spot when your parents visit and you want to impress them. If you really want to splash out, Michelin-starred Alchemilla is Nottingham’s answer to fine dining.

Cafes & bakeries

For study sessions away from the library, 200 Degrees is the speciality coffee chain that started in Nottingham, dependable for a flat white, reliable Wi-Fi and a free table. Other great options include Cafe Sobar and Specialty Coffee & Eatery.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, look no further than The Pudding Pantry, the go-to for a proper brunch and stacks of pancakes. Tough Mary's Bakehouse also has a mouth-watering line-up of pastries and freshly baked loaves.

Street food markets

Bustler Food Hall has been one of the greatest additions to Nottingham’s food scene. Located in Sneinton Market, it brings together rotating independent traders, everything from loaded fries to dumplings, in a buzzy, low-cost setting that's as much a night out as a meal.

There are also lots of casual restaurants in the city centre that give you that classic street food experience, with Mowgli and Zaap Thai great for Indian and Thai food respectively.

History & heritage 🏛️

Nottingham's history is unusually fun to explore as it's literally built on a network of caves, and the Robin Hood legend is woven through the whole city. Plenty of it is free or cheap, too, so well worth exploring if you’re looking for things to do. 

City of Caves

Nottingham sits above a network of more than 1,000 man-made caves carved into the sandstone, the largest such network in the UK. The City of Caves attraction takes you underground to explore these winding passageways and discover eerily interesting facts about Nottingham’s history.

It's the single most "only in Nottingham" thing you can do and offers discounted student tickets at £11, as well as joint tickets for £22 that also get you into the nearby National Justice Museum.

Nottingham Castle

Perched on top of a hill overlooking the city centre, Nottingham Castle is home to interactive galleries, cave tours and has a big focus on the Robin Hood story the city is famous for. The grounds are absolutely worth a visit, even if you’re not bothered about the exhibitions.

While you're nearby, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem (which claims to be the oldest inn in England) is literally carved into sandstone cliff rock and is an incredibly atmospheric spot for a pint.

Wollaton Hall

Located around three miles west of the city centre, Wollaton Hall is a grand Elizabethan mansion set in a deer park that houses the city’s Natural History Museum. Batman fans and film buffs will recognise it as Wayne Manor from The Dark Knight Rises!

Entry to the hall and park is free, making it one of the best-value trips in the city. Pair the museum with a walk around the grounds and you've filled an afternoon for the price of the bus fare.

Nightlife 🌃

Nottingham’s nightlife scene is absolutely booming. With a great mix of live music, DJs and nightclubs, you’re sure to find a great evening out, every night of the week.

Nightclubs

A genuine institution, Rock City has been running since the 80s with themed club nights, gigs and events. Famous acts like The Arctic Monkeys, Oasis and Ed Sheeran have graced this stage, and it also doubles as a nightclub with student events throughout the week.

Crisis Wednesdays and Tuned Thursdays are the main student nights, with 2-4-1 drinks and DJs spinning a mix of chart music, indie tunes and cheese. Ocean is the other big student nightclub in town, with a fancy dress theme on Wednesdays and classic club nights on Fridays.

Pubs & bars

For huge steins and raucous energy, the Bierkeller is a fun-loving venue with a garden, lodge, pool room and traditional beer hall where dancing on the tables is encouraged. Das Kino is another popular spot with disco cocktails, great pizza and live music on weekends.

If you’re looking for somewhere a little more sophisticated, Coco Tang has a chic roof terrace, Vietnamese kitchen and student discount on cocktails. Another? Wine Bar is a great spot for date nights, with a self-serve wine bar and student discounts throughout the week.

Live music venues

Beyond the bars and clubs, the Rescue Rooms, Stealth and The Bodega form a cluster of grassroots music venues where you can catch touring and up-and-coming acts most nights of the week.

Jamcafé is another spot definitely worth checking out: during the day it’s a European-style cafe-bar, and when night falls it’s a live venue for bands, DJs, poets and comedians. In the cafe itself you can choose from delicious brunches with a Bloody Mary, scrumptious vegan dishes or just a simple craft beer.

Outdoors 🌳

As major cities go, Nottingham has a surprising amount of green space to explore, especially if you’re willing to venture outside the city centre where the landscape opens into rural countryside, river valleys and lush forests.

Parks & green spaces

Nottingham Arboretum is the city's oldest park and sits right next to Nottingham Trent University. It's easily accessible and a nice spot to decompress between lectures, with tree-lined walks and a bandstand.

Highfields Park, next to the University of Nottingham and home to the Lakeside Arts Centre, has a boating lake and open space that fills up with students the moment the sun comes out. Both parks are free and walkable from the main student areas.

Wollaton Park

Wollaton Park, the 500-acre deer park surrounding Wollaton Hall, is probably the biggest green space that’s easily accessible from the city centre. With its free-roaming herd, lakeside walks and formal gardens, it feels like a genuine escape from the city without leaving it.

Students converge here for picnics, runs and lazy afternoons, and you can pair a visit with the free Natural History Museum inside the hall. It’s easy to reach by bus from the city centre, with the journey taking about 30 minutes.

Attenborough Nature Reserve

If you like the sound of a scenic stroll with a bit of wildlife spotting, the Attenborough Nature Reserve is a real treat. Built on a series of flooded gravel pits, it offers three different walking trails that take you along ponds, woodland and the River Trent.

In summer, you can see kingfishers and sand martins and maybe even an otter if you’re lucky! It’s super easy to reach, too, with trains from Nottingham taking you directly to Attenborough in 10 minutes.

Shopping 🛍️

Nottingham's shopping scene mixes major labels with historic arcades, independent spots and plenty of vintage stores. So whether you lean towards indie fashion or everyday styles, there are plenty of options to keep your wardrobe fresh.

Shopping centres & arcades

The Victoria Centre covers the major high-street brands under one roof, handy for restocking essentials. Many shops offer student discounts, so make sure you have your ID card or discount code ready.

But the real character is in the historic arcades. Exchange Arcade beneath the Council House is a beautiful domed Victorian space, and Flying Horse Walk is worth a wander even if you're only window shopping.

Vintage & second-hand shops

Nottingham certainly caters to students looking for their vintage fix. Cow Vintage is a reliable favourite for pre-loved pieces at prices that won't wipe out your loan, and the Sneinton Market Avenues host rotating vintage traders and pop-ups.

Hopkinson in the city centre is an antiques-and-vintage emporium spread over several floors that you can easily spend an hour or two exploring. Keep an eye on the markets' socials for one-off events, spanning everything from arts and crafts to poetry readings and live music.

Independent shops

Beyond vintage, Nottingham's wider independent scene is strong. The Lace Market and Hockley are dotted with record shops like Rough Trade, indie bookshops such as Five Leaves and small design-led boutiques that you won't find on the high street.

You’ve also got Ice Nine, a true treasure trove with unique jewellery, alternative clothing and all things counterculture. For cute gifts, colourful prints and accessories, head to Handmade Nottingham just off Upper Parliament Street.

Nottingham: a top student city ✨

Between its unique history, independent food scene, legendary nightlife venues and brilliant outdoor spaces, Nottingham gives students an enormous amount to do and – in our view – easily ranks among the UK’s best student cities.

Moving to the city for university and looking for somewhere to stay? Yugo offers comfortable and convenient student accommodation in Nottingham, with our Goldsmith Court residence located next to NTU’s City Campus and a short commute from UoN.