Somehow, Cambridge has ranked seventh best night out in the UK for 2023

Despite the consensus amongst Cambridge residents and students alike that nights out are “underwhelming” compared to other UK cities, a recent study from Get Licensed has found that a night out on the town has been crowned the seventh best in the UK.  This report was based on a variety of factors such as safety levels, the number of pubs and the average cost of a pint. And yes, clubs were part of the ranking too…

In fact, the city has moved up one spot from when it was previously crowned eighth last year with an overall score of 6.46/10. This year, Cambridge has just managed to squeeze above Plymouth’s score of 7.25 with a grand total of 7.28.

It’s no surprise that Newcastle was ranked first with a score of 8.19/10, whereas London, on the other hand, was found to be the worst night out in the UK with a score of just 1.73/10. I’m not so sure that the Cambridge Londoners (i.e the whole of the university) would agree, but when factors like cost and safety are taken into account, it makes a lot more sense.

The Lolacoaster…one of Cambridge’s frequented student clubs (Image credit: Patrick Dolan)

Cambridge should be very grateful to its Numbero Safety Index Score of 71.31 for its particularly high rating, making it the fourth safest city in the UK for nightlife, which is one spot higher compared to its place in the 2022 report. It ranked on the higher side of its competitors in the top ten, with Newcastle being rated at 61.60 and Plymouth at 60.47.

Thankfully, it’s reassuring to learn that there is a remarkable and common theme of safety throughout the city with one quarter of people suggesting concern at being robbed and 19 per cent worried about being assaulted and hate crimed, compared to London’s 40 per cent. This extended to people also feeling safe walking alone at night: 64 per cent of people, more than three times that of Southend-on-Sea at just a fifth of people.

Telford takes the number one spot as the safest night out and fourth overall, which is a clear indication that “safety remains an important factor that many consider when planning a night out.”

Even though Cambridge only has 25 bars and clubs per 100,000 people, everybody knows its 121 pubs per 100,000 brings it closer to the top.  The city is famous for its historic pubs such as The Eagle, the place where Watson and Crick announced that they had discovered the double helix structure of DNA. Had the study focused solely on Cambridge’s smaller collection of clubs, it might have taken a hit in its ranking for obvious reasons.

“The most famous pub in Cambridge” (Image credits: Patrick Dolan)

However, at the higher end of the scale, the average pint of beer costs £5.68 in Cambridge, which was perhaps the factor that kept Cambridge from the top five. Compared to a study in December 2022 which saw a price of £4.26, this is a clear indication of how the cost of living has swept through the city with an increase of over £1.40. Having said that, tourists are yet to bring the price up to the capital’s average of £6.82.

Whilst said results are surprising (that is, the high ranking, not the price of a pint), it is clear that Cambridge’s quality of pubs and safety levels have earnt it its place in the top ten for this year. When we consider the fact that the report is based on the consensus of the public and data sources such as Tripadvisor, we have to remember that student insights haven’t necessarily been taken into account as a priority, which perhaps offers an explanation for the result.

That said, maybe our Wednesday and Sunday nights aren’t as bad as everyone makes out.

Let’s aim for sixth place next year?

Featured Image Credits: Patrick Dolan