The city of Bristol is small enough to get to know well, but large and cosmopolitan enough to have an enormous variety of social and cultural events happening at any one time.
At the beginning of each new academic year, The Students' Union provides a guide for new students on things to do in the city, and there are other listings magazines and websites such as Venue readily available throughout the year, some free of charge, giving comments and recommendations to keep you up to date on concerts, theme nights in clubs, meal deals in restaurants, salsa dance classes . . . the list of possibilities is endless! (However, please note that as things can change, the inclusion of any particular establishment or publication here is not a recommendation in itself, but merely intended to give an indication of what's on offer in the city.)
Bristol has a very large number of coffee and tea houses, bars, pubs and restaurants. Up and down Park Street, Whiteladies Road and Gloucester Road, for example, there are numerous places where you can meet friends for a chat over a nice cup of tea, an exotic coffee or a traditional British beer. There are all kinds of restaurants to suit all kinds of diets and budgets to be found around the city.
For a bit of daytime culture you could visit the City Museum and Art Gallery, or take a boat trip around the newly refurbished dock and listen to a commentary on Bristol's history. There are numerous historical places of interest, some with free admission, tucked away all around the city and beyond. The Georgian House, off Park Street is one example. The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a very famous Bristol landmark and just a short walk from Clifton village. Take your camera if you go out for a walk – some of Bristol's scenery and buildings are extremely beautiful.
The Downs are a large green open space situated centrally for Bristol, at the top of Blackboy Hill. In summer you will see people having a picnic, playing softball, flying kites or simply sunbathing. All year round you will see joggers here and people walking their dogs. It is an excellent place to spend free time with friends and is within walking distance of the University's main precinct and many of the Halls of Residence. The views from here can be breathtaking on a clear day!
Sporting opportunities can be found either through the University's Students' Union or the city itself. The Students' Union has a vast collection of different sporting societies from football to canoeing, Tae Kwon Do to skydiving. Many of the Halls of Residence also have their own teams for hockey, rugby, etc. The University has its own sports ground in Stoke Bishop Sports Complex, plus a new sports centre in Tyndall Avenue, which has a gym and hall for exercise classes among other things. The swimming pool is in the Union building and many of the Halls of Residence have squash or tennis courts, table tennis facilities and even croquet lawns in some cases.
Day trips to nearby towns and cities are also easily achievable. Bath, Wells and Glastonbury, for example, are just a short train or bus journey away. London is just over two hours away on the coach and day return tickets are generally inexpensive. If you like to travel in a group, a number of the Students' Union societies organise day trips and sometimes weekends away in pursuit of their particular interest. These can provide an ideal opportunity to see a little of the countryside outside Bristol, in sociable surroundings. You'll need to visit the Freshers' Fair at the beginning of the year (normally held in the Union building) to see what is available, meet people with similar interests and join a few societies. Alternatively, have a look at the International Students' Advisory Service website for details of organised trips.
If shopping is what interests you, then Bristol has plenty to offer. The main shopping centre is Broadmead, where you will find most of the UK's large department and chain stores. There are also small individual boutiques and large discount warehouse shops which are good for household items. Park Street is the place for music, books, clothes and shoes. Alternatively, you can hop on the bus and travel out to Cribbs Causeway (where there is also a large cinema and several different restaurants) and shop in a large, light and airy undercover mall.
There are dozens of other things to see and do in Bristol. You can learn to paint with watercolours, go ice-skating, visit the at-Bristol science museum, use a climbing wall or go to the zoo.
As with most University cities in the United Kingdom, Bristol has a vibrant night life, catering for all tastes. So, it is hard to know where to start!
There are dozens of bars and pubs in Bristol. The décor, seating, atmosphere and prices vary greatly, depending on what kind of place you are in! Be warned, some get very busy, particularly at weekends!
Whichever area of Bristol you are in, it pays to explore and you will soon find your favourite ‘local’. A good, central place to start looking is along the waterfront where you will find a mixture of large franchise pubs, small family-run pubs and cinemas with their own bars attached. Public transport from the centre is plentiful, so it shouldn't be difficult or expensive to get home from here at the end of the evening.
For those who like clubbing, there is a wide variety of nightclubs in the city too, ranging from hip-hop to '70s, drum and base to Indie. Some are very central, others tucked away. Again, it is worth spending some time doing some research to find out what kind of music is played in a particular club. Many clubs play different music on different nights of the week and bring in guest DJs. Check in listings magazines or on websites such as Bristol-online or Bristol Clubbing to see what's on. A lot of clubs have special student nights, where you can gain admission at a reduced rate if you show your student card. Also, you may be handed a leaflet or flyer advertising a special student night. This is a common way for clubs to promote themselves and the flyer may include a money-off voucher so it's worth having a quick read.
For theatre, ballet, opera and musicals, some of the more long-established venues are given here. The Old Vic Theatre, the Hippodrome and the QEH Theatre. Many of the shows that come to these and other venues in Bristol are part of the national and international circuit and are of outstanding quality.
Live music is a thriving area of entertainment in Bristol. Some bands play in pubs, while others play in proper live music venues such as the Colston Hall. Again, there are far too many different venues to mention them all, and it is best to check listings for dates and entry fees. However, some of the more well-known places include The Bristol Academy, The Promenade Wine Bar, The Louisiana, the Old Duke (for jazz) and the Fleece and Firkin, not forgetting the University Union's very own Anson Rooms. Once you become a student here, you can use the free internet access provided by the University to find out everything you need to know!
Bristol has several cinemas, some mainstream, others more arty. The Odeon is the most centrally located mainstream, and is good value for money. There are several out-of-town, multi-screen cinemas such as the Showcase, Cineworld (which shows some Bollywood movies) and Vue, but it can be slightly more difficult to get to these, unless you have a car, or a friend with a car, or you go by taxi. The Arnolfini Contemporary Arts Centre shows less mainstream films including foreign, subtitled films, as does the Watershed cinema, and both are easy to walk to from the centre.
Whatever you find to do in your leisure time, we hope that you have a good time and that some of this information has been of use to you.