What To Do in Derby: Days & Nights Out

Whether you’re looking for a fun day our or a memorable night out, there’s loads to do in Derby. In this post we’ll explore some of the best things Derby has to offer students.

Good Days Out in Derby

Derby has loads of things to interest the curious and the adventurous:

Museums and Galleries

The Derby Museum and Art Gallery has a pretty impressive collection, including an original Joseph Wright painting, an Iron Age longboat, and even an Egyptian mummy!

The recently opened Museum of Making is hosted in the historic Silk Mill. Their permanent exhibitions are engrossing enough, but also look out for more hands-on events that’ll let you try numerous different arts and crafts.

Pickford’s House isn’t the biggest museum, but it has a lot to offer – especially if you’re interested in architecture, gardening, or social history. They regularly host special talks and events too.

Shopping & Dining

There’s a bunch of independent shops and some great places to eat and drink in Derby’s Cathedral Quarter.

The historic Friargate has some of the city’s best bars and restaurants, including the mighty Suds & Soda – a haven for real ale lovers.

You can’t miss The Derbion – it’s a huge grey box in the centre of the city. Formerly the Intu, here you’ll find all the major high street stores, as well as a food court, a bowling alley, and a cinema.

And speaking of cinema, The Derby Quad is a cultural hub in the city, regularly hosting exhibitions, installations, niche screenings and a legendary film quiz.

Good Nights Out in Derby

Pubs in Derby

Fancy a pub crawl? The city has some beautiful historical pubs, including The Exeter Arms, The Flowerpot, The Brewery Tap, and Ye Olde Dolphin Inne. Derby may also be one of the only places in the country where you’ll find a Wetherspoons next door to another Wetherspoons – The Standing Order and The Thomas Leaper.

Derby Student Bars

Student friendly bars include The Friary, which happens to be based in one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. There’s also The Blessington Carriage, where Pete Doherty was once spotted having a great time after a local gig. Bunk has a great atmosphere, excellent cocktails and tasty chicken wings, but it’s a bit on the pricey side.

Clubs in Derby

In terms of nightlife, there are a few clubs in the city, including Mosh, Pop World, Fever, and The Blue Note. Derby has a thriving metal scene, and The Hairy Dog is the current capital of alternative music in the city. And there always seems to be a Britpop party going on at Seymours Bar, on the corner of Friargate.

Feeling brave? Derby is also notoriously one of the most haunted cities in the UK, and Jorrocks claims to be the most haunted pub in the city. You can also take a ghost walk around Derby Gaol, which ends with the best jacket potato you’ll ever eat.

Good Days Out Outside of Derby

Apart from anything else, Derby is a great jumping-off point for the Peak District. Take a train or a bus and you’ll find yourself surrounded by beautiful landscape in no time.

There are also lots of interesting towns and villages to visit in the area. Head for Belper to find dozens of charming independent shops, restaurants and bars. Matlock Bath is like an inland coastal town, with arcades, fish & chips, cable cars, an aquarium and a museum of holograms. Wirksworth has a cool new age/alternative feel, and it also happens to be a popular destination for stargazing.

If you want a bit of greenery closer to home, Darley Park is a sprawling natural wonder just 10 minutes’ walk from the city centre. Markeaton Park is close to the university, and if offers plenty of activities, including mini golf, an arts and crafts centre and the High Ropes climbing course.

Seasonal Events

Derby Festé is an annual spectacle of interactive performance arts that takes over the whole city centre every September. Also look out for other seasonal events in the main city square, including the annual Folk Festival and occasional funfairs.

Every August bank holiday weekend they hold various concerts in Darley Park. The big draws still the Sunday, which is a “last night at the Proms” style family classical music concert, ending in fireworks. But in recent years they’ve started putting pop concerts on too, usually with a nostalgic 80s or 90s theme.

The Bustler Market takes place on the last weekend of every month. It’s a gathering of street food vendors and independent craft beer breweries, with live DJs playing good music, loud. And speaking of craft beer, Derby’s famous for its beer festivals, and the city now hosts an annual gin and rum festival too.

The Best Student Accommodation in Derby

If you’re looking for the best student accommodation in Derby, we’re here for you. We only deal with students and we’re all recent graduates ourselves. So we know exactly what students want and need out of accommodation.

Head here to find your new student home in Derby.