The best student bars and clubs in Brighton
You want to spend your hard-earned cash wisely. So check out the best Brighton student clubs and bars here to be a nightlife expert in time for freshers.
Last updated: 5th Sep 2024
Originally published: 10th Aug 2022
Brighton has a proud and enviable party history. So if you’re headed there for uni, we’ll warn you now: you might not get a lot of work done as Brighton's student clubs and bars are addictive.
From sunny beer gardens to cocktail bars with insane happy hours to clubs with tunes banging all night long, there are plenty of venues to spend your student loan in. Here are the best Brighton student bars and clubs you’ll most likely become very familiar with throughout your uni experience.
Photo: Hobgoblin Brighton on Facebook
Where: 31 York Place, Brighton BN1 4GU
Hobgoblin is without a doubt one of the best Brighton student bars. This award-winning pub and beer garden has DJs every weekend to help you escape your troubles, pizza, loaded fries, hotdogs, and even an escape room.
if you're looking for a particularly cheap night in Hobgoblin, then you've got to get down to their student night, Hob Mondays. With a Bottle of bud costing £1.59, Spirit & Mixer costing £2.59 for a single and £4.18 for a double, a live DJ until midnight, and much more; it's truly one of the best and cheapest student nights in the city!
Photo: Revenge Brighton on Facebook
Where: 32-34 Old Steine, Brighton BN1 1EL
Revenge is one of the best Brighton student clubs and one of the city’s many vibrant LGBT clubs. There's regular drag cabaret, queer quizzes, and Karaoke, but what separates Revenge from the other LGBT bars and clubs in Brighton is the rooftop bar. Peppered with pastels and providing a picturesque view over Brighton Beach, it's truly a vibe anytime you're up here.
But let's talk about the important stuff - Student nights. Well, where this is concerned, Thursdays are where it's at. Their Fruity Thursdays nights are free entry and truly one of the best queer student nights in the whole city. With £2 singles, £3 doubles, and £3 Redstripe, you truly can't go wrong.
Photo: The Arch on Facebook
Where: The Arch Nightclub, 187-193 Kings Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1NB
With the seafront as its doorstep, The Arch is one of Brighton's homes for all things electronic music. Frequently seeing some of the coolest electronic acts come and send its crowds into a frenzy. So if you and your uni pals want a boogie, there are few better spots.
However, what The Arch is really known for among the student population, is its CU Next Tuesday nights. One of the most established student nights in the city, and one that is run by students, for students, CU Next Tuesday offers unrivalled drink prices, regular theme changes, hilarious on-stage antics, and so much more. A necessary night out as student in Brighton.
Find tickets for events at The Arch - HERE
Photo: Chalk Venue Brighton on Facebook
Where: 13 Pool Valley, Brighton BN1 1NJ
Formerly known as The Haunt, Chalk is a nightclub and live music venue that hosts a range of genres and artists with synthpop, dance, indie, hip hop, reggae, metal, and techno events currently in its calendar. Their student club nights are varied too, with Fat Poppadaddys, the Indie, Hip-Hop and D&B-themed nights on a Monday, and Secret Discotheque on Thursday offers Pop music from across the decades with a huge screen playing the music videos of the likes of Britney Spears, Rihanna, One Direction and Taylor Swift.
On those club nights, you can expect deals like five bombs for £5 before 12:30 pm and £3.50 Vodka doubles all night long. It's always a riot in Chalk, and we can guarantee you'll spend many a night as a student in Brighton here.
Find tickets for events at Chalk - HERE
Photo: Brighton Students' Union on Facebook
Where: The Venue, Mithras Halls, Lewes Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 4QX
No list of Brighton student bars can be complete without the Student Union bar. Whilst not as glamorous as some of the spots on this list, any student will tell you that their SU is always a frequent stop.
Located in Mithras Halls on the Moulsecoomb campus, The Venue offers daily drink deals, a great value food menu, and a variety of events such as pool tournaments, quizzes, and themed party nights. Whilst this one is quite limited to the University of Birhgotn students, if you fall under that bracket, it's most definitely going to be a regular haunt.
Photo: Patterns on Facebook
Where: 10 Marine Parade, Brighton BN2 1TL
Patterns is one of them all-in-one venues. Located in a former Art Deco Hotel, it’s now three floors of guaranteed fun. With a lush ground floor that flows with pints and cocktails, soundtracked by a resident DJ; a smoke-filled nightclub in its basement, fit with lights, DJs, and other live acts.; and a stunning rooftop terrace - an urban oasis of tropical potted palms, bright pastel coloured furniture - built for sunshine and sipping, and sea views.
With lots on offer, you can rock up without really knowing what kind of day/night out you're after and just figure it out when you get there. It’s a student’s playground.
Find tickets for events at Patterns - HERE
Photo: Twisted Lemon on Facebook
Where: 41 Middle Street, Brighton BN1 1AL
If you and the uni pals are after something a bit nicer, and more relaxed, then look no further than the Twisted Lemon, a hidden gem of a cocktail bar that's provided award-winning drinks and vibes for over a decade.
What you students will be most interested in, however, is Twisted Lemon cracking happy hour. Running from Sunday to Friday from 12 - 7 pm, you'll get to sample their exceptional list of 20 quality drinks at slash prices of just £6.95.
It's the perfect spot for cocktail fanatics, and offers so much more than just the classic pornstars, with creative concoctions like their Banoffee Pie or Black Forest gateaux cocktails.
Photo: The Green Door Store on Facebook
Where: Unit 2, 3, & 4 Trafalgar Arches, Brighton Train Station, Brighton BN1 4FQ
Tucked away under the Trafalgar Arches, GDS hosts lively, sweaty gigs when their low-price club nights aren't going off.
"It Is Still 1985" is one of their most popular club nights. It brings 80s joy to the people of Brighton every Saturday and has done for over 11 years now. Another very popular night for GDS is “I F***ing Hate Clubbing”, a night of pure chaos and hilarity, where three staff members with wildly different tastes in music curate the playlist, resulting in a unique night where you literally have no idea what's coming next. A great spot in the city.
Find tickets for events at the Green Door Store - HERE
Photo: The Volks on Facebook
Where: 3 Madeira Dr, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 1PS
Whilst not a venue that hosts student-specific nights, if you are into the heavier side of electronic music, you'll be right at home here. With sweaty interiors, a belting Soundsystem, and arguably THE spot to groove out and get messy, The Volks will be a spot the student skankers will be spending a fair amount of time in.
However, whilst the nights aren't specifically aimed at students it's rare tickets get over 10-15 quid, so it's still an affordable night. Basically, you just need to get your best bass face on, head on down to Volks, and indulge in the dance. You won't regret a thing.
Find tickets for events at the The Volks - HERE
Photo: Hare and Hounds Brighton
Where: 75 London Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 4JF
A much-loved student haunt on London Road, The Hare & Hounds offers everything a good pub should. An excellent selection, a huge green beer garden (fit with heaters), top scran from their Thai kitchen, and just a guaranteed vibe.
Plus, for you students looking to really save a few quid, their student nights on Wednesdays see prices slashed, with you able to get a Prahva for £3.50, a shot of Tuaca for £2.49, and several other drinks for shockingly low prices. One of the Brighton student bars you've got to visit when on London Road.
We don’t know about you, but we’d happily throw our entire student loan at Brighton’s student clubs and bars. The cocktails, happy hours, outdoor spaces, games, vibes, killer club nights, live bands, drink deals, the variety - it’s almost too much. It’s heaven!
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: Hobgoblin Brighton on Facebook