The PearShaped Guide To Clubbing In Exeter

As a small city stuck in the middle of Devon, Exeter may not be famous for its wild nightlife. But don’t be fooled into thinking you’re going to be stuck with the same old rubbish club with a naff DJ playing the same songs week after week (although this can be found in Exeter as well). Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that Exeter has a varied nightlife with something to suit all tastes.

UNIT 1: The core of clubbing in Exeter - there’s an event every night of the week (bar Wednesday). Head down on a Monday to find yourself among the Dirty Sexy People of Exeter for some DJ Wilby remixes of your favourite chart hits (and if this is your sort of thing - come back on Thursday and Friday for much of the same). Tuesday is often the busiest night of the week with Cheesy Tuesday providing us all with the chance to sing and dance to Grease whilst surrounded by our drunk peers - what more could you ask for? You’ll probably spend a large portion of your student life on the Unit 1 dancefloor.

TIMEPIECE: Arguably the biggest club in Exeter, and located right in the middle of town, Timepiece (affectionately known as TP) is a reliable night out. Wednesday Timepiece is the centre of sports socials in Exeter and one of the biggest nights of the week. Be prepared to see lots of AU socials and a lot of drunk athletes. Fridays are also big at TP, with slightly less club music than other nights out and more of a focus on indie rock. Spread over three floors (with ‘top-top’ playing more R&B than the lower two floors), a massive smoking area and its very own food area, Timepiece has everything you’d want from a night out wrapped up into one space.

ROSIE’S: Down the other end of the high street from most of Exeter’s clubs, Rosie’s (previously known as Mosaic) is somewhat the marmite of clubbing in Exeter. Many students are loyal and never miss a week, other students try it in first year and never venture that far down town again. Monday is your typical clubbing night, with chart fillers and pop music, whereas Thursday is the more alternative of the nights, with more of a focus on house and hip-hop.

CAVERN: Your choice for an alternative night out, Cavern provides a break from the monotony of the university clubbing scene. With events such as Indie Saturday, which does what it says on the tin and plays indie hit after indie hit, Magic Hatstand, and a whole variety of student run events, Cavern is definitely worth checking out.

MOVE: Cavern’s indie sister. Move (previously Cellar Door) may seem rather illustrious to the older crowd at Exeter after years of closure and name changes, but it now seems to be here to stay. A bit of a trek away from the rest of the club scene marks Move out as a different night out. Head down to the Quay to experience some of Exeter’s best alternative nights out.

LEMMY: Your Saturday night out is split between The Lemon Grove (known affectionately as the Lemmy to all) and Cavern - pick your side. Many may say that Saturday Lemmy is equivalent to a school disco, but don’t we all look back fondly on our school discos? Sticky floors, interestingly coloured drinks and some classic pop - what’s not to love?

VAULTS: Vaults is Exeter’s resident LGBT club, open every night of the week but best visited on Fridays or Saturday for a better club experience. Located on the corner of Gandy Street, this is a great choice for a less student orientated night out with some club classics and pop remixes.