How is the nightlife in Britain?

Posted by throwmeinthetrash434@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 69 comments

Basically the title. I live in Sydney and word is that the nightlife here used to be wild. As in, you could club-hop virtually from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. However, for a variety of reasons, this has mostly ended, and the death of this nightlife is very controversial in Sydney - some say it ruined the city.

I (perhaps inappropriately and stereotypically) think of you Brits as very classy, polite people. I was wondering if such a nightlife exists in Britain and whether the presence of this nightlife is different between cities (as in how, in Australia, Sydney's nightlife is basically non-existent but Melbourne's is lively; is, say, London's nightlife stronger than Birmingham's?)

I've always wanted to move to the UK in the future but this is a factor that would decide if I do, and where I would move to.

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Sylv68@reddit

I live in Scotland, however my adult daughter has lived in Newcastle for a number of years now. It’s a fantastic city! Obviously I’ve visited often & every single weekend you’ll encounter dozens upon dozens of Hen & stag nights. Clubs & pubs are busy every night of the week with the weekend being crazy busy. Plus there’s barely a month goes by that a new pub (bar) opens. They’d real variety too from plenty of “posh” bars to traditional type pubs. I love it, it’s true when people say that Geordie folk are friendly too. Loads to do other than drink as well with many theatres & other entertainment places.

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ClevelandWomble@reddit

Newcastle has a spectacular night vibe in the centre and on the quayside. OP may need a translation app on his phone once the drink starts flowing....

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newbris@reddit

Ha ha, am Australian. Can confirm. Went on a pub crawl in Newcastle once and ended up married. She has a weird Geordie/Aussie accent now but still can't understand her sometimes when she drinks...

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BornNectarine_@reddit

No nightlife in London whatsoever. Reading the comments, it looks like i need to visit a small country town for some good time

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tunaman808@reddit

As an American, I was shocked at how British people party like it's the end of the world. Drunk people everywhere. People peeing in the streets. Puddles of puke all over the place.

Imagine the destruction left in an American city after that city's team wins the Super Bowl or World Series. Brits just call that "Saturday".

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Dans77b@reddit

I an english guy that went to my childhood hometown in Indiana, we had been drinking all night and I needed a pee. The guys I was with were shocked that I peed into some bushes at the side of the street.

I also remember bar staff seriously distressed about a drunk woman in the bar making a bitbof a tit of herself, almost as if it was expected that you don't act drunk.

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everton1an@reddit

I’ve lived in the states for many years now, and used to regularly have a pee on a local tree or bush when leaving a pub like back home. Wasn’t until I found out that you’ll get arrested and put on the sex offenders registry for public indecency for doing it that I stopped.

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Right_Emergency_1065@reddit

So, the local police draw the line at peeing in a bush, but if you want a licence to buy a semi-automatic rifle, there's not a problem?

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Flat_Couple_9972@reddit

in some cities its illegal to have alcohol in public....

but a firearm on your hip is fine so long as you have a license for it.

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MisterrTickle@reddit

That's if you even need a permit for open carry.

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bfkakdjdkwbdkr@reddit

There would be a problem, because in most states you don’t need a license, only a background check.

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Dans77b@reddit

I love America in so many ways, but they just don't drink like we do, which is probably a good thing.

The only caveat is that they seem to have a very relaxed attitude to driving home pissed - at least that is the case out in the boonies where I lived...

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dolphininfj@reddit

It's true - my Aunt lives in New York State and has been caught drink driving several times. If that was here a jail term would have been certain. I suppose being drunk in charge of a gun would be worse though.

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everton1an@reddit

Even in suburbs of a mid-sized city it’s surprisingly very lax. I think you have to be completely obliterated to even raise a slight suspicion from the cops. Thankfully I have driving age kids who come pick me up, but I regularly see people 5-6 pints in jump in their cars to drive home.

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Dans77b@reddit

Lack of public transport and car-centric cities have a lot to answer for.

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jodorthedwarf@reddit

The such a stupid law. Do they never get caught short. Also, given how they seem so obsessed with free speech, regardless of intention, it's interesting that going for a piss is regarded as a sexual act.

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Front-Blood-1158@reddit

You forgot the antisocial behavior and fighting part.

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herefromthere@reddit

Many years ago there were reports of riots around the country. Turned out it was a standard Friday in Newcastle.

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Adammmmski@reddit

That was probably when Sunderland beat them 3-0 again.

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Glad_Possibility7937@reddit

Sorry. I do rapper (kinda like the Geordie version of morris dancing, but done inside pubs), and the Shields road crawl is a hoot.

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herefromthere@reddit

Sounds it :)

You do also sound a bit like you're claiming responsibility for the mistaken belief that a normal weekend in Newcastle in 1985 was actually a riot?

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Forward_Raccoon_2348@reddit

As a Geordie I somewhat concur, you do get some piss heads that have had a but much to drink acting like Billy big bollocks. But the majority of us do get pissed but are very friendly. Especially as a female, in the women's toilets we meet besties for life in there.

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DeirdreBarstool@reddit

I live in Newcastle. I go out nearly every weekend. I’ve never been in any bother with anyone and usually end up chatting to random folk.

However, if you walk down Bigg Market/Collingwood Street sober after about 8pm on a weekend night, it’s fucking mayhem and a real eye opener. Not fighting, just absolutely hammered people everywhere. Singing, shouting, falling over, puking. Saw a lady in her 50s a couple of weeks ago lying on the pavement outside the theatre royal with her fanny hanging out.

I love it here!

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TheIronMike@reddit

In my 30s now so out less, but I ran a lot of club events back in the day, my best mates still run most of Newcastle nightlife now - and I absolutely fucking love it.

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HighlandsBen@reddit

You just reminded me of visiting Durham a few years ago. Wandered around in the afternoon seeing the beautiful cathedral, the river, the university students strolling the ancient streets.

Went to our B&B to check-in, then headed back into town for a bite to eat... to find absolute carnage. Police locking down certain streets, gangs of drunks screaming and shouting, pubs overflowing, a McDonald's that looked like a warzone. Shudder.

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re_Claire@reddit

I love how OP was calling us classy polite people but the top comment is “you’re all drunken animals” hahaha

It’s the weather by the way. Alcohol in copious amounts is the only way to distract us from the rain and lack of sun.

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ThaiFoodThaiFood@reddit

Tuesday

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SpecificDependent980@reddit

This isn't normal in the States?

What do you do when you go out?

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Chazzermondez@reddit

I was about to say, our pubs open at 10 to facilitate the people who have finished their night out at 4am who have spent 6 hour between the club, maccies and wandering the streets, so that come 10am they can prep themselves for the next night out. We are iconic.idgaf if people say we are alcoholics, I agree and it's a fucking class way to survive the concept of working 45 years of your life.

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Sunset-Hippo@reddit

😂😂😂 I'm a Brit that's lived abroad for 15 years. I'm horrified when I go back and see the clubbing scene (that I used to be a part of)

Police vans, drunks yelling and screaming, inflatable penises, police with bâtons, take away food strewn all over the place, people vomiting and peeing, a fight somewhere and a couple falling out.... Yep, typical Friday / Saturday nite 🙈

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Specialist-Guitar-93@reddit

You live in France don't you...batons gave you away haha

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Sunset-Hippo@reddit

Hahaha... Maaaaaaybe 😂

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Captainpinkeye3@reddit

Yes you can drink 24/7 here especially in the cities, plenty of clubs are open until 5/6am. Some ticketed/unlicensed raves etc go on even longer. Wetherspoons pubs starts serving alcohol at 9am. I've done it myself. Get into Manchester at around midday and start drinking, leave clubs at 6am the following day, straight into a casino to keep going for a few hours before spoons opens to carry on the self sabotage. Rinse and repeat aslong as your liver can handle really.

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Global-Set-3495@reddit

The party life in the uk can be good depending what city you go for really, I experienced the Sydney night life but I didn’t get to see all of it I liked it, but I heard there was bar lock-ins past a certain time not sure if it was 1am maybe ?

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ErskineLoyal@reddit

Mate, the weekends are absolute mayhem in UK cities in the north, south, east, and west. We drink like there's no tomorrow.

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daneview@reddit

They are? I'm in east anglia and most town centres seem pretty dead these days in the evening.

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jodorthedwarf@reddit

In all fairness, East Anglia rarely has the demographics to support big nightlife scenes. Many areas are sparsely populated and the ones that aren't have demographics that trend towards older people.

Take my home town Ipswich, for example. Its got a busy enough nightlife scene, over the weekends, but its often hyper-focussed around specific pubs with nothing to link them together. This results in islands of activity without much crossover between different places. Ipswich also struggles from the fact that there isn't really much of a Clubbing scene. The last dedicated club has been effectively shut ever since its owner was outed as a serial sexual-harrasser and people seem to be a lot more interested in pubs and live music (which is very common, on Friday nights).

I turned 18 when the pandemic hit so I don't know much about Ipswich's nightlife, prior to it. From what I've heard, it was really good and is slowly creeping its way back, now.

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Spank86@reddit

Crowds getting older though. Slowly but surely.

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ThaiFoodThaiFood@reddit

Drink until there isn't

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Alone_Bet_1108@reddit

The politeness is a veneer. Brits are absolutely fucking mental when they party.

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illarionds@reddit

Not so much a veneer, more a Jekyll and Hyde thing.

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KnowledgeSea1954@reddit

Theres nothing classy or polite about most British people, so if that's why you're moving here you may be disappointed. There is a binge drinking culture though so you should be able to have a night out. In my area local nightclubs have shut down in the recession but in city centers and popular neighbourhoods there will still be a nightlife. I'm in my 30s and don't go out clubbing that much but when I have recently mostly around east London it's always been busy.

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lucky1pierre@reddit

Liverpool - you'll be able to find yourself somewhere to entertain yourself until the Wetherspoons opens so you can have brekkie and a pint on a weekend.

Long gone are my days doing it, but it was great as a 21 year old.

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Dry_Emu_7111@reddit

Can’t speak for the rest of the country but there is a great night life in London if you know where to go. I think partly due to the size there isn’t the ‘club hopping’ culture I’ve seen in other countries like Poland unfortunately. There are entrance fees on the door usually. There are certainly some great clubs though and there is absolutely a big night life scene.

For proper nights out there is obviously a big culture of going to a bunch of bars before going to the club ‘proper’. And, if it’s 5 in the morning and you don’t want the night to end there’s always Egg 😂

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Dry_Emu_7111@reddit

And there is nothing, I repeat, nothing, then the first pint of the night at 3pm in a spoons with some good mates

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leelam808@reddit

Manchester or places like Cardiff seem to have a better nightlife than London

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Alternative_Look_453@reddit

Cardiff is incredible. I legit thought there was some kind of event or parade on, but no it was just Saturday.

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bigsillygiant@reddit

The problem now is the price, and pre drinking, used to all meet in the pub from 7pm and just party till the wee small hours, and could go out on 30/40 quid to do that now your looking at £200 plus so it just isn't feasible, I still enjoy the odd rave up but the atmosphere is very different, too many insta wannabes taking up the floor.

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Marvinleadshot@reddit

Where are you going that needs £200 for a night! Even going out in London doesn't cost that.

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bigsillygiant@reddit

Average cost of a pint where I live is about £6 unless it's spoons or your drinking cat pissed lager, that's without shots or visiting a cocktail place, back in my proper drinking days I'd consume between 10 and 15 pints/bottles of beer, then switch to alcohol pops or shots so of you extrapolate the cost to today's prices, if I could still drink like that it would cost me closer to 200 especially if you include, entry fees, food, taxi/uber home

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Marvinleadshot@reddit

I don't spend that much on a night out in London, including the tube/bus home or to the next place, £10 entry and £7 pints, but I don't bother with shots or spirits.

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Dennyisthepisslord@reddit

Ignore all these posts of course you are right and we are classy people. Think Downton Abbey.

Ignore videos like this

https://youtu.be/p1TCSbv_KPw?si=6_ADV5yDSdkqZ-Nj

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Pingo-Pongo@reddit

Very naff nightlife in London. The city feels like a ghost town after midnight. As soon as you get into a medium-sized city where people can get around without public transport, you find good nightlife

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The_Yellow_King@reddit

It's been a long time since I was of clubbing age but a huge number of nightclubs in the UK have closed down in just the last 4 years (around 40%) and they were on the decline well before that.

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Marvinleadshot@reddit

Because pubs, outside of London, stay open just as late as nightclubs, so why leave and spend money heading somewhere when you're already in a place.

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Born_Sheepherder7404@reddit

It’s became quite rapey what with the influx of night rapists from other countries

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Single-Bad-5951@reddit

It's definitely declined / changed. Around the millennium clubbing was quite popular, but young people these days seem to prefer to save up to go to festivals or they'll go to cheaper warehouse raves

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Rich_27-@reddit

You need to watch the film "Human Traffic"

YouTube link

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Dear_Possibility8243@reddit

London has effectively gone the same way as Sydney with it's 'lockout laws' and restricted a lot of the nightlife. Similarly to Sydney it now closes very early for a large city. If you are dissatisfied with Sydney nightlife you probably won't like London's either.

Regional English cities are better, so are the major cities in Wales and Scotland. Continental Europe is better still.

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mediadavid@reddit

Club nightlife has been declining since the 90s, but covid really kicked it in the shins. I don't think it'll ever really recover. There is big variation between the cities though, northern cities like newcastle tend to be much more party cities than southern for whatever reason. London is going through a sharp decline, seemingly like Sydney.

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bigwill0104@reddit

Clubbing in the 90’s was something else…

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Nogames2@reddit

Used to be wild here too. Price of drinks through the roof now and people like to stab each other for some reason nowadays

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working-soup1331@reddit

Brit here. When I turned 18 and went out for my birthday the main club we stayed in was £10 entry and then 1p drinks after that. I couldn't believe it, thought maybe it was just alcopops or bottles of beer but it was singles and mixers too. I tentatively put a pound down on the bar and asked for a JD and coke and got one, alongside 99p change. I was hungover for about 4 days.

Played pub golf a few years later and ended up with alcohol poisoning.

Nightlife isn't quite as bad it was back then, but in bigger cities and university towns it's still alive and well. There's a reason countries all over Europe dread British tourism.

Beautiful places like Magaluf or Ayia Napa became popular drinking destinations for large groups of teens to go and drink non stop along their party strips, no other purpose of visiting other than to just drink and party.

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but tbh wherever you go there will be British people getting shitfaced. I wouldn't recommend clubbing in Birmingham though, or leeds, its rough and not a great place to be a woman.