Introduction 

Leicester is home to three of the top universities in the UK. No wonder the city is teeming with a young population. To cater to this audience, there are plenty of places to visit in Leicester – from heritage points to bustling marketplaces, to open parks and hippie bars. 

Let’s discover the top 10 things to do when you’re not buried in your books! 

 

• Caddyshackers 

What is it: An indoor 18-hole golf course located in Calais Hill that’s open to both adults and families. 

Who is it for: Golf enthusiasts who don’t mind some friendly matches. You can also have a date night here as it’s a unique place that allows you to have food. So, make sure to get the right golf accessories and have some fun with such an engaging activity

There are special discounts for students and teachers – an unbelievable 50% - from Sunday morning to Thursday night. Just show your ID to claim the offer. 

Things to do: Enjoy the grunge look and graffiti art all around Caddyshacks which makes it one of the coolest places to hang out. You can book a slot online or arrive there and wait for your chance to put in. 

You can choose from one of the eighteen packages that the place offers. The lowest-priced package is reserved for those who truly deserve a break – students, teachers, and NHS workers. 

The bar there serves mocktails, soft drinks, wine, both craft and regular beer, milkshakes, etc. to cater to all ages. And when you’ve downed your drinks and your tummy starts to rumble, head over to grab a menu. Choose from the wide variety of burgers, pizzas, and salads from the menu. Or if you want to share your grub with friends, there are seafood, veggie, and Italian platters to suit your group’s mood. 

 

• National Space Center

What is it: The largest domed planetarium in the UK located on Exploration Drive. 

Who is it for: Stargazers and space enthusiasts who want to gaze at the glory of all things heavenly. There are spacesuits, rockets, artefacts from space history, and other objects to hold your interest throughout the day.   

Things to do: There are six galleries, each of which is unique and offers various shows and other activities. 

•  Learn about the solar system while driving a rover on Mars. When you tire of Mars, you can land on Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, Venus, or Jupiter. Or, you could get a 3D look at Venus. In short, you have all the opportunities to get to know your neighbouring planets in our solar system.
• Witness the Big Bang that started the universe. Here, you can delve deeper to learn about the technology that enables scientists to observe the rest of the universe from Planet Earth.
• Create sound waves or take a trip in the Weather Pod at the Orbiting Earth gallery. You can also learn about how satellites help to forecast the weather and send emergency alerts.
• Look closely at the space objects carefully curated in the Space Oddities gallery. These give you loads of clues about space history.
• Step into the famous Sir Patrick Moore planetarium to indulge your senses in six different shows narrated by famous voice-over artists and actors.
• Enjoy the Into Space gallery which gives you all the highlights of a space journey complete with astronauts in spacesuits!
• Definitely visit the 42-meter high Rocket Tower which houses real rockets for your eyes to feast on!

 

• Abbey Park

What is it: A whopping 89-acre park located in Abbey Park Road that offers scenic beauty with a plethora of outdoor activities. 

Who is it for: Nature lovers who want to drink in the sights and sounds of lush greenery, the flowing River Soar, and the song of birds. If you’re a history buff, there’s something for you too. Even outdoor activities abound in the park, making it a hot spot for university students. 

Things to do: Take a walk amid the ruins of 12th century Leicester Abbey or Cavendish House dating back to the 17th century. With informative panels dotting around these buildings, you can dive deep into their history. These are on the western bank of River Soar which divides the park into two parts.

Also located in this area are the Pet Corner and Abbey Park Café. Pet Corner houses birds, guinea pigs, goats, hens, and rabbits. If you’re a bird and animal lover, you can spend hours here.

Row a boat gently down the river on its eastern side while you take in the surrounding park views. You will spot lavish Victorian-style gardens with manicured shrubs and curated trees. A perfect setting for a picnic with friends or a date!

For something a bit more active, take advantage of the tennis courts, a lavender maze, the bowling green, play areas, and Ping! table tennis tables. Your group of friends won’t get tired of the endless sporting opportunities here.

If you visit on a weekend, take a ride on the miniature train. You’ll also find platforms, a station building, and workshops there.

 

• Curve Theater

What is it: Located in the hub of the Cultural Quarter, the Curve Theater is a dominating glass-and-steel structure with an award-winning curved design. A welcomed change provided from student accommodation Leicester!   

It engages more than 750,000 people from all over the world every year as performers and project implementers. Curve Theater marries traditional and contemporary performing arts to produce diverse work that strikes a chord with all kinds of audiences. 

This theatre is a platform for artists around the world to come together and perform in unique productions. 

Who is it for: Theater and other performing arts lovers who don’t want to miss operas, plays, or musicals. Curve Theater is also a learning platform for budding artists who want to be a part of outstanding theatre productions. 

Things to do: Curve Theater is a contemporary stage that doesn’t have a backstage. Therefore, the audience is fully immersed in the entire theatre experience as they can view what goes on behind the scenes. They can also spot performers going to and from their dressing room. 

Besides enjoying theatre productions, students enrolled in universities in Leicester can explore internship and apprenticeship opportunities. The Creative Career Pathways is a program offered by The Curve Theatre to encourage students from all backgrounds to further their careers and gain practical knowledge outside classrooms. 

On the premises is the Green Room Café where you can grab a bite or some coffee. You can also get a drink at the Stage Door Bar or shop for vouchers and membership gifts at the shop. 

 

• 33 Cank Street

What is it: A cocktail bar that boasts the largest selection of classic cocktails. It’s located in the old part of the town which used to witness everyone coming together after a day of hard work to exchange news and gossip. 33 Cank Street stays true to the feeling of community and camaraderie to this day. It opened its doors in 2014 and soon became famous for its original cocktails. 

Who is it for: Those who crave a jazz and blues kind of evening with a motley of in-house and classic cocktail mixes. It’s a great place to go on a date or to just have a lively weekend with friends. Make sure to reserve a seat for yourself and your friends on their website. 

Things to do: You can order from a menu that offers all types of cocktails to suit your mood, including Fruity, Timeless, Daisy, Disco, Sours, Creamy, Boozy, Fizz, Old-School, and Aperitivo. 

You can also dance the night away or croon to the melodious jazz and blues that are performed live. Or, get a solid 90-minute masterclass on making cocktails from the pros. The High Tea is the perfect tete-a-tete with your close group of friends. It features classic, alcoholic, and non-alcoholic selections. 

33 Cank Street also hosts handicraft stalls, pop-ups, and collaborations to put independent artists and entrepreneurs on the map. 

 

• Highcross Shopping Centre

What is it: A swanky shopping centre in the heart of Leicester that caters to all kinds of shoppers and is always high on events and dining experiences. 

Who is it for: Fun-loving, outgoing students who want to indulge in high street fashion or to just go window-shopping to the coolest shops. University students can get discounts on clothes, gadgets, beauty products, and much more. 

Things to do: You can spend the whole day shop-hopping the 80 lifestyle and clothing stores with your bestie. Take a trip to the top fashion outlets like Zara, H&M, Next, Levi’s, and many more. 

Need new gadgets? The Apple store at Highcross has the answer to all your tech needs. Besides independent electronic shops, you can visit the all-time favourite John Lewis outlet that caters to all your home, personal, beauty, and fashion needs.  

Then head to a fast-food or fine dining restaurant to catch your breath and top up before shopping again. With 40 restaurants and cafes, you and your mates will be spoilt for choice. 

Visit Typo if you want an arsenal of unique, head-turning stationery. Watch out for all the irresistible discounts for students on their website. 

If you’re not in the mood for shopping but want a real adventure or movie date, check out the in-house cinema, mini-golf course, and indoor-climbing facilities. 

Keep an eye on the exciting events that range from comedy fests to street art fests, celebrating Pride, or Leicester Caribbean Carnival. There’s always something on at Highcross to make sure you reach a high. 

 

•  Phoenix Cinema

What is it: A charity organization that supports and promotes independent films, digital, and traditional art. The two movie theatres at the premises show both Hollywood blockbusters and lesser-known, independent films. 

Who is it for: Movie, art, and culture buffs, be these digital or otherwise. Students who are passionate about art films or want to learn the ropes of any kind of visual arts are sure to love Phoenix.

Things to do: Treat yourself and friends to a rollicking blockbuster movie on a Saturday night. Or if you’re more interested in art films from both international and national artists, you have that option too. Grab the chance to view the latest award-winning movies from around the world that will help you to look at things from different perspectives. 

If you want to learn about filmmaking and other kinds of art, there are courses you can take advantage of. As students, you can attend the talks and workshops. Take the short courses offered to develop your film-making skills and get insights into digital technology. It’s a springboard from where your career or further education can take off. The online and offline exhibitions from artists all around the world can quench your creative thirst.  

When you’re literally thirsty or hungry, head over to the Café Bar for a quick drink or bite. Reserve your seats on the website or through email so that you definitely have a table waiting for you and your posse. 

 

• Leicester City Market 

What is it: The largest outdoor covered market in Europe that’s 800 years old. The 270 stalls offer a range of products from fresh farm produces to second-hand books, jewellery, clothes, flowers, etc. 

This market has bagged prestigious awards like Britain’s Favorite Market and Britain’s Best Market. It’s a haven for both shoppers and business owners. With ample space, farmers, butchers, fishmongers, florists, and others can display their fresh produce to their best advantage and shoppers have the luxury of picking the best deals. 

Who is it for: Budget-seekers and students get the best deal from this market as all farm produce and household products are competitively priced. At the same time, it’s a great platform to promote local businesses and ensure they get the right price.  

Things to do: You can order the choicest beef cuts from the butchers at Food Hall, the plumpest poultry, the finest selection of cheese, or fresh catch from the sea.  

Besides local fruits and vegetables, you can shop from Indian, African, and Caribbean stalls to get a taste of exotic fruits. If you need home furnishings, you can also get a variety of carpets, curtains, beddings, and more to make your house or room a home. 

Watch out for the special events taking place in the huge public square. When you’re tired of all the shopping, rest in one of the numerous cafes and enjoy a drink or two. Or get a haircut at Shortys, a salon that employs skilled hands to make you look your best! 

 

• Club Republic

What is it: A nightclub located on Gravel Street. It offers surreal audiovisual experiences, thanks to the wall screens, RnB beats, house music, and chartbusters. This is the place to lose yourself to dance.

Who is it for: Party animals who want to dance the weekend away to different tunes and beats. There is something for everyone in this nightclub which features five different rooms playing dance, urban, chart, club classics, and house tunes in each - great for university students who want to wash away exam woes and party all night. And it won’t even be heavy on your pockets. Every Friday night, you can get drinks for £1 or less. So, without thinking further, raise a toast with a beer or a vodka mixer. 

Things to do: Make the most of the weekly events - Skint Fridays, Monsta Mondays, and Saturdays. You get plenty of freebies like McDonald’s chicken nuggets on Skint Fridays. Mondays have special discounts for students.  

Rock to daily DJ mixes or keep an eye out for live performances by your favourite hip-hop and rap bands. 

 

• Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Center

What is it: An outdoor activity centre on a sprawling 15-acre area to educate and motivate people to accept challenging sports and activities within a safe environment.  

This centre is focused on arranging and promoting anything related to outdoor sports like rallies, championships, tours, regattas, meetings, training sessions, festivals, and both recreational and competitive events. 

Who is it for: Those who want to bond with new friends over something challenging but fun. With a wide range of adventure activities, there is something that suits everyone’s outdoor sports interests. And that too without the need to overspend. 

To be inclusive and offer equal opportunities, Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Center has disabled access points. Moreover, the support staff is well-trained and friendly, catering to the needs of people from all backgrounds. Some of the popular inclusive activities at the centre are archery, fencing, ropes, and canoeing. 

Things to do: Canoeing, climbing, kayaking, multi-activity problem solving, raft building, paddle-boarding, archery, rifle shooting – the exhaustive list contains 27 activities that encourage teams and friends to bond and develop team skills. 

Students can volunteer in the Seabin project at the Center that regularly collects trash from the river to keep the waters clean. This activity teaches students and others how to practically contribute to a cleaner and greener environment. 

 

Conclusion

Leceister is a city that offers a rich and multicultural environment which is essential to develop the students outside their classroom. If you haven’t already visited these places, start ticking them off one by one!