A Night Out in Canterbury

While Canterbury may be a far cry from the hustle and bustle of central London, the town does know how to cater to its younger population, and especially university students. From good to great, here is a rundown of some of the nightlife Canterbury has to offer.

The Venue
(Entry fee: $5)
With a prime location right on University of Kent’s campus, this nightclub is extremely popular with the student crowd. Open from 10p.m. – 3a.m., Venue offers two floors with three separate bars, and hosts multiple theme nights weekly. Though this is a club primarily for those studying at Kent, non-students can also usually accompany their friends (so long as the bouncer is feeling nice). Boasting cheap drinks and good music, Venue is the primary choice for forgetting about that paper due at the end of the week.

Fun fact: Once during a “carnival”-themed night, a performer was hired to demonstrate his ability of swallowing strange objects. After a confusing hour of watching him shove swords and light bulbs down his throat, he then brought out live goldfish for the grand finale. To my knowledge, he has yet to be invited back.

The Loft
(Entry fee: $5)

Situated off of Canterbury’s High Street, this club is a slightly smaller venue with one main floor and bar. Though the layout means that nights here are often extremely crowded, the music (mostly house) always creates a great atmosphere to have fun with friends.

Fun fact: One time I decided to meet up with friends here and, thinking it was a quiet pub, I showed up in a thick sweater and rain boots. The amount of sweat that ended up pouring down my face as I danced that night was truly appalling.

Club Chemistry
(Entry fee: $7)
Located in a warehouse just outside the town center, Chemistry in a giant among the other clubs, boasting four separate levels each with its own bar and dance floor. Every level also plays a different genre of music, from classic pop to house to EDM. By truly offering something for everyone, Chemistry is one of the most popular clubs in Canterbury. Admittedly, this does mean the entrance line on a busy night might be a bit long, but with a closing time of 6a.m., it really doesn’t matter.

Fun fact: Dance-offs are frequent and almost always encouraged by the DJs, no matter what song happens to be playing. Crowd surfing by the winner is usually inevitable.

Alberry’s
Entry fee: Free
Also located along the High Street, the first floor of Alberry’s appears as a normal bar, but walk downstairs on weekends and you’ll find the main club area. Because this second floor is underground, the dance floor and lounge areas are surrounded by grey brick and thus retain a dungeon-like atmosphere, which is actually quite cool. Drinks are cheap, the staff are friendly, and the music is great, particularly on Saturdays, where the DJ spins hits from the 1970s all the way to the early 00s.

Fun fact: Watching people drunkenly scream the lyrics to “American Pie” will always be entertaining.

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Sydne Aguilar is studying English and film. She is studying abroad in Canterbury, United Kingdom during the 2016-17 academic year.