UK's BEST University Cities for Freshers Week

Congrats to all of you students out there on A-level results day 2022! We hope you got the grades you wanted and are now preparing to move to your university city next month. If you’re curious as to which UK cities have the best freshers week then stick with us, we’ve put this list together of the top 6 to get you buzzing.

Each fresher’s week is packed with fun activities for students from events to nights out to parties. We’re sure you’ll be reminiscing of the fun you had in freshers week for years to come – we certainly are!

If you want to know a bit more about how to prepare and what to expect, we have just the blog for you here.

Let’s get this party started…

1. Nottingham

Ranking at first place for the best cities for freshers week on Student Hut is Nottingham. This ranking is based on student reviews so if you won’t take our word for it, we’ve got back-up! But seriously, Notts is an amazing city for freshers week and here’s why.

It has an iconic nightlife scene for students studying at either of its two renowned universities, the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University.

Students can expect tons of club nights at the best venues in the city during this year’s freshers like the UV Neon Lazer Rave, F*ck Me Its Freshers, The Freshers House Party and Back To The 90’s Throwback Rave to name a few.

There’s also a programme of live music events, freshers’ fairs, welcome talks, society activities, quizzes, bingo, and outdoor cinemas, promised for first year students moving to the Midland’s city.

With its large student population of just over 60,000, you’re gonna meet tons of cool people. So, if you’ve just secured a place to study here for university then you’re in for a real treat this fresher’s week 2022!

Find out more about the FRESHEST events in Notts here.

2. London

London’s fresher’s week 2022 is set to be unreal! We couldn’t not include The Big Smoke on our list, after all, it’s the biggest city in the UK with the largest student population of 300,000.

There are well over 30 official freshers’ events taking place in London for students at any of the 18 universities in the capital.

With club nights to suit everyone like The Official London Moving In Party, Ibiza White Party, Freshers Circus, Freshers Mashup and The Project X House Party along with so many more. No matter your music taste or style, they’ll be an event to suit you.

If nights out aren’t what you’re after this fresher’s week, then don’t worry, there is jam-packed programmes for students depending on your universities Students’ Union.

You can expect a great range of events like daytrips and walking tours, arts and craft sessions, performances and tons more. You’ll meet SO many new friends during this exciting period and have the time of your life!

3. Manchester

Manchester has an unrivalled fresher’s week which is lucky for students who’ve secured a place at The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University or the University of Salford – get in!

The city’s nightlife scene is one of the liveliest and popular nightlife scenes in the country and year after year it sees over 100,000 students begin their journey and party it up during fresher’s week.

You can get Mad Fer It at mint student nights like The Big Freshers Lockdown, Freshers Initiation, Toxic Manchester and The Freshers Zoo. These are only a few on the buzzing events programme, take a look for yourself here.

You can also attend the iconic Warehouse Project events whilst living in Manny if you fancy it!

Not only is it the place to be for nights out this fresher’s week, but there are also events to suit everyone’s vibe with the programme varying from uni to uni. You can expect day trips, games nights, freshers’ fairs (with tons of freebies) and so much more.

Roll on September 2022 right?! Visit your university’s webpage to find out what you could be getting upto.

4. Newcastle upon Tyne

Are you keen to find out what there is to do as a fresher in The Toon? Well, keep reading cos’ we know our stuff when it comes to events and activities for students at either Newcastle University or Northumbria University.

It has long been known that Newcastle has one of the most famous nightlife scenes in the UK. You can dance your heart away at official freshers’ events like The Freshers House Party, Freshers Festival, Freshers Carnival, Bass House Zoo Party and the ABBA Freshers Disco.

There are over 20,000 students studying in Newcastle so we’re sure your Insta follower count is gonna go up by a few this fresher’s week!

For students at the Newcastle Uni there over 300+ activities organised by the student’s union like bubble football, cocktail-making, dog cafe visits, pub crawls and escape rooms. There’s even a launch party on campus featuring a DJ set from Bastille, you’ll have the time of your life!

Students at Northumbria can take part in a “Greatest Showman” singalong, tour Newcastle city via Open top bus, or visit the award-winning bars and restaurants on campus like Habita, Escape and The Greenhouse this fresher’s week. You don’t want to miss out!

 

5. Leeds

If you’ve received your place to study at either the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Trinity University or Leeds Arts University then congrats!

Leeds was voted as the most fun city to be a student in 2021, so it’s obvious that you’ll have a good time with your flatmates during the welcome week.

There are so many social events taking place in the Yorkshire city that we’d be here all day trying to name them all! But the biggest and best events for newbie students in Leeds include LooseCrawl, The Big Freshers Icebreaker, The Insomnifest Freshers Festival and The Freshers Movement.

No matter what music you’re into or what vibe you’re after, you’ll discover a night out to suit you and meet like minded people.

There’s a whole week full of free entry activities taking place in the city for you to meet some pals for life from the food market with international street food and DJs to retro games nights where you can get competitive!

Not to mention, there’s over 35,000 students in the city so you’re bound to meet people on your wavelength.

Check out your student union’s webpage to find a full list of official freshers events to get involved with in your new surroundings!

6. Birmingham

If you’re bagged a place to study at Aston University, Birmingham City University, Birmingham University, Newman University or the University College Birmingham then well done!

The time of your life (or student life) awaits you in Brum with tons of parties, club nights, activities and events promised for first years this freshers week.

New students can attend official parties with the likes of Applebum, We Love Birmingham Freshers, Freshers Neon 90s & 00s Party and the Kiss Freshers Tour. You’ll be able to make the most of student drinks deals, banging music, as well as meet tons of people with a student population in the city of 80,000.

If clubbing isn’t your style, then there’s a vast array of events depending on your university’s student union. The events programme at Birmingham University has welcome parties to pizza parties to t-shirt parties to open air cinema nights to silent discos!

Check out the on campus events at your uni to get the excitement flowing, and send them into your flat group chat!

And that’s a wrap on our blog of the UK’s best university cities for freshers week.

If your uni city isn’t on this list, by no means does that mean you won’t have an amazing fresher’s week. There are absolutely amazing events promised everywhere, and we’re sure you’re going to have the best time and a great student experience wherever you’re studying!

We wish you all the luck upon moving to your new student flat, and we hope you make some fab memories this freshers week – you deserve it!

Worried about suffering with freshers’ flu or covid? Check out our post here on symptoms, treatments and how not to panic.