Things to Do in Leicester

Leicester is one of the most popular cities in the UK to study in. The city is home to two universities as well as the remarkable Premier League champions of 2016, Leicester City.

Here, we will show you everything you need to know about the city and will show youtube various things to do in Leicester.

Location

A city in the East Midlands and a city fresh off the back after the football team’s surprising triumph in the 2015/2016 Premier League season, we have Leicester. The city sits on the River Soar and also right by the National Forest. The city has a rough population of 337,653 according to the very most recent figures. The city is tight at the forefront of student life and has long been a favoured place to study.

Things to do in Leicester

Part of university is enjoying the nightlife that the city has to offer and Leicester has most certainly got you covered as far as that is concerned. Everything from bars, restaurants, and raves are all here. We’ve compiled a list of three places that we think will give you the best nights out in Leicester, and hopefully have you coming back for more.

First up we have Mosh, a nightclub which has been at the forefront of live music for a very long time and it’s live music events (Which change pretty much every day) are what brings people back time after time to enjoy some of the wonderful things this nightclub has to offer. Next up, we have The Fanclub Nightclub, which has a huge following from loyal patrons and has people coming back all the time with its enticing nightlife offerings, everything from cocktails to food and more. We thoroughly recommend The Fanclub Nightclub to anyone! Thirdly, we offer Club Republic, which boasts the accolade of “Leicester’s Biggest Saturday Night Party” and features a broad range of live music and DJ sets and has people coming from other cities just to enjoy the delights of Club Republic! This is a must-visit for any of those that are looking for a classic night out!

Leicester’s history is rich tapestry and is celebrated in the city through many different museums all of which are accessible to the public and are affordable. Many students talk about how useful they are for helping them with their various assignments. New Walk Museum is one such place that is inviting and wants you to look into the rich history of Leicester, and best of all it’s completely free of charge to enter.

If you’re looking to see some of the best that Hollywood has to offer, then we recommend going to one of Leicester’s many cinemas. Leicester boasts such places as an Odeon a Vue Cinema or a Showcase all of which have the latest and greatest films. However, if you’re looking for more independent movies, then we recommend joining one of the city’s many film societies.

Leicester has many celebrations that take place every month, whether they be festivals or just a chance for the community to get together and enjoy the city’s comradery. There’s everything from the city’s Pride Festival which runs in September, Black History Month celebrations in October or the Oxjam Festival or the Diwali Celebrations.

Transport

The main railway line in the city is Leicester Railway Station. The station is somewhat unique in that it has access to the Eurostar line at St. Pancras Station in London, which means people can travel to the station and can then access cities like Brussels, Lille and Paris. The city has an InterCity service and Trans-Regional services, which are provided by East Midlands Railway, which travels to major cities in the country.

The city has two main bus services in the city, St. Margaret’s Bus Station and Haymarket Bus Station. The main providers of bus services in the city are Hinckley Bus, First Leicester, Centrebus, Kinchbus, Leicester Bus, Arriva Fox County and Stagecoach Midlands.

The city does have an international airport, East Midlands Airport, in Castle Donington. The city also has a regional airport, which is Leicester Airport, though this is considered to be more of a private airport than an actual commercial entity.

Universities in the City

There are two universities in the city.

The first is the University of Leicester was established in 1921 as the Leicestershire and Rutland University College, however, the college received university status in 1957 and thus rebranded as the University of Leicester.

The university’s student union represents the entire student body and also covers the interests of over 200 different societies within the university as well. The union also represents the Galaxy Press (formerly known as The Ripple) (the university newspaper), Galaxy Radio (the student radio station) and Leicester University Student Television (LUST) (the university’s TV station).

The university does share a fierce rivalry with the neighbouring De Montfort University and regularly competes in varsity and non-varsity sports with Galaxy Radio also broadcasting the matches.

The city’s second university is the aforementioned De Montfort University. The university was originally established in 1870 as the Leicester School of Art, though the school received university status in 1992, which prompted a rebrand.

The university opened up a Performance Arts Centre for Excellence (PACE) in 2007 as well as a new Business and Law Centre as well.

De Montfort actually has 13 principal buildings, set across the city, which house different subject areas and the university’s own student union.

History

Leicester is generally considered to be one of the oldest cities in the country, as the settlement actually predates the Roman era. The Romans did eventually appear in the settlement however in around 47 AD. The settlement became the tribal capital of the Corieltauvians.

After the Romans withdrew from Britain, very little is actually known about the town. Though it seems that the city was still briefly occupied and had a number of inhabitants, the city didn’t really pop back up on the British history radar until the Norman conquest, in which the city was recorded in the Domesday Book as Ledecestre. Leicester did actually receive city status in the 11th century, however, the status was withdrawn amidst battles between the church and the country’s aristocracy, though Leicester officially became a city again in June 1919.

By the time the War of the Roses had finished, King Richard III was laid to rest at Greyfriars Church in Leicester. THere is some disputes between whether or not Richard’s body was later cast into the sea or that his tomb was destroyed, but an archaeological dig in 2012 discovered that Richard was actually buried elsewhere, over what is now a car park, the skeleton was re-buried in 2015 in Leicester Cathedral.

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was arrested on charges of treason in York, however, the party stopped off in Leicester, where Wolsey died and was buried in what is now Abbey Park.

During the industrial revolution, Leicester bagan to thrive! As the introduction of the Grand Union Canal improved links between Leicester, London and Birmingham, and the opening of Leicester Railway Station both came into play, Leicester was able to withstand a lot of commuting, industry and importing & exporting.

Like many cities in the UK, Leicester was targeted by the German Luftwaffe and sustained damages and casualties. Though not as heavily bombed as other areas in the country like London or Coventry, the city was still affected with many major buildings being damaged or destroyed.

Sport

There is an extensive array of sports in the city.

The city’s most successful sporting team is the Leicester Tigers, who are the most successful English Rugby Union club ever since the league started in 1987, which they have won ten times.

In terms of football, the city is represented by Leicester City FC. After a number of years yo-yoing between the various divisions in English football, the club pulled off one of the real fairytale success stories of winning the Premier League title in 2016. The club were at odds of 5000/1 at the beginning of the season and won the title ahead of established club favourites like Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea. Leicester still play in the Premier League and play their home grounds at the King Power Stadium.

The city’s basketball team is the Leicester Riders and are the oldest basketball team in the country, having started in 1967. They play at the Morningside Arena and play in the British Basketball League (BBL) and have also played in the FIBA Europe Cup.

The city also has a cricket club, the Leicestershire County Cricket Club, who play at Grace Road and play in the second division of the county championships. They did actually win the County Championship in 1996 and again in 1998.

Who’s from Leicester?

Leicester has numerous famous people from the area including; David Attenborough, Gary Lineker, Lydia Rose Bewley, Una Stubbs & Kate O’Mara.