Going out in Cardiff

With a wide variety of pubs, clubs, and live music venues, Cardiff is a great place to go for a night on the tiles. And with internet sites such as lastminute.com currently offering great deals on cheap hotels and city breaks in Cardiff, there’s never been a better time to go! But where should you go for a drink once you get there? Let this guide help you.

The weekend nightlife in Cardiff principally revolves around the many bars and nightclubs within spitting distance of each other on and around St Mary Street. Busy bars such as Life, Edwards, and Walkabout are open late on the weekends, and if you enjoy drinking out of doors, the outdoor terraces of the Brewery ¼ and Mill Lane are immensely popular during the summer.

Another hotspot for weekend revellers is Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay. Stylish café/bars such as Terra Nova, Ba Orient and Salt are busy the whole week through, and the area also plays host to a wide variety of restaurants. The Red Dragon centre, situated nearby, also contains several bars as well as a cinema and a bowling alley.

For those of us on a slightly higher budget, the area surrounding Greyfriars Road contains several swish wine and cocktail bars such as Tiger Tiger, Ha Has, Laguna, and Fatcats, providing a more sedate alternative to the hustle and bustle of St Mary St on the weekend.
Also nearby are fashionable bars such as 33 Windsor Place and the Buffalo Bar.

Perhaps the most famous live venue in Wales, the huge Millennium Stadium has played host to a number of internationally-recognised artists such as U2 and Madonna. In addition, popular touring acts often play at large venues such as the Cardiff International Arena and the Cardiff University Union. If your musical tastes are less mainstream, smaller venues, such as the Cardiff Barfly and the Clwb Ifor Bach, cater for local bands as well as up and coming national acts. For listings info, check out the individual venue websites or consult the listings pages of a music magazine or local paper.

Cardiff also has a vibrant student nightlife scene, owing in no small part to the fact that the city contains three universities and around 10,000 students. Much of the student-oriented nightlife seems to be based around the neighbourhood of Cathays, with a number of pubs and clubs targeting students by offering cheap food and drink as well as themed events such as pub quizzes and fancy dress nights. Popular venues include Bar En Route, The Social, and the Funky Buddha Lounge.