TSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > City and Nightlife Guides > Aberdeen Nightlife

Please contribute to this article with your favourite bars and clubs in Aberdeen. RGU and Aberdeen students please. Write a little about opening hours, prices, events and atmosphere.

Student Bars

Aberdeen Union (Now Closed)

Unfortunately no longer exists due to massive losses. The second edition closed in Dec 2008 and there are various rumours circulating regarding a 3rd attempt. A new Bar has opened where the union used to be, closed down, then opened again. http://jpsbarandgrill.com

RGU:Union

The Union's pretty much slap-bang in the middle of the city (just off Belmont St and only a minute’s walk from Union St). It's the only bar in Aberdeen that is exclusively for students. Last summer they spent about £250,000 doing the place up from top to toe, resulting in a sexy new bar on the second floor, better cafe facilities, and more bits & bobs throughout the building.

It's got 3 floors, 2 bars, a cafe and free wi-fi. The music is mostly commercial and studenty, but there's an indie night on Thursdays, a pub quiz on Tuesdays and a cheese night on Saturdays.

It closes at 1am through the week and 2am at weekends, which means it's good if you fancy a drink after all the other pubs have shut.

Students from any Uni can use the place, and can sign guests in as well.

There's more at these pages:

http://www.rguunion.co.uk,

http://www.facebook.com/rguunion

http://www.facebook.com/RGUFreshers2011

Watering Hole

Local bar in the centre of Hillhead Halls for the University of Aberdeen. Cheap drinks and various events are held. Open until midnight all week, and 1am on a Friday and Saturday. Frequently shows big sports matches on a massive screen.

Pool tables upstairs and the discounted beer of the week in the bar downstairs makes it the ideal place for a few drinks with friends before grabbing a taxi or the last bus into town.

Other Student favourite Bars

Scream Bars

Use your Yellow card in these bars for substantial student discounts. You can purchase a Yellow card during fresher's week for £1, or at any other time for £2. You can use your Yellow card in any Scream bar in the country. The only bars in town with Bulmer's cider on draft.

The Bobbin

Right next to Aberdeen Uni's King's College campus. Serving food throughout the day, with special offers after 3pm.

Handy for hitting the pub for lunch and a few cold ones with it being so close to campus. If you end up staying out longer than planned you can pick up Q jump passes for Liquid here as well!

Triple Kirks

Just on the end of Belmont St, opposite the RGU Schoolhill campus. Also serves food.

Closes at midnight most nights, but with the nightclub Exodus upstairs this still gives you another 2 hours for a good eventful night.

The Athenaeum

Situated in the Castlegate, this boutique bar is part of the Snafu family. That means you can expect cheap drinks and also some thoroughly Snafu-esque beats. Electro, House and Techno are all on circulation on the speakers, and the ambience is pretty laid-back.

2 for 1 meals are 12pm - 9am everyday for students, excellent take away coffees, also there is live music and DJs at the weekends and often through the week. Discount passes for Club Snafu.

Ricky Flynns (formerly Sin)

Next door to Fitzpatricks on Littlejohn Street, this place has become a favourite to students recently. Nice surroundings, decent DJs and reasonable prices.

Sanctuary (formerly JP's)

In the location of the old Aberdeen Union. Often very busy and full of students. A great place to start your night with various events throughout the week.

Korova

A new bar in town, less than a hundred yards from Liquid on Bridge Street. Named after the Russian word for 'cow', it does great discounts on shots and other drinks on student nights (Mon/Wed)

Korova is split into 3 floors. The top floor is a restaurant area with some cheap deals (2 soups and 2 sandwiches for £7 at lunchtime) and also serves drinks at night. Below this is a club area. In the basement which is accessible on Windmill Brae is the area where gigs and club nights are held.

Friday is the Jagermeister Rock Night, a mix of great drinks promos and alternative music. Plays a mix of rock, metal and screamo.

Shows have been booked but so far the only gig played was the last UK show of American Hardcore band Have Heart, The other scheduled gigs have been moved to The Tunnels. More gigs are expected to be announced though.

The Moorings Bar

Legendary Pirate themed tiki bar cum alternative music venue near the harbour.

Great selection of drinks including real scrumpy, real ale, absinthe, cocktails, and dozens of imported beers including some exotic fruit flavoured ones (mango beer???). Drinks are very reasonably priced and there is a 10% discount with your student card, 10% discount for pirates and 20% discount for pirates with a student card. They usually offer a whopping 25% off and a free admission pass during Fresher's week.

Extensive alternative/metal/rock/punk on the jukebox. Busy rock karaoke on Wednesday night. Live music on Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm-11pm followed by alternative DJs from 11pm-3am admission free before 8.45pm then it's £3 all night. Free entry at all other times. At 4pm every Sunday the place is plunged into total darkness and they show a movie with a projector, followed by a jam session at 9pm. Weekend nights are always packed although it's seldom quiet through the week. Awesome sound system. There's even a pinball machine.

This places warrants a more detailed description. Students make up approximately half the demographic. The remainder constitutes the remnants of every conceivable random subculture: pirates, musicians, bikers, sailors, punk rockers, anarchists, pinball addicts, skaters, stoners, nudists(!), ageing hippies, the homeless, blind people, an eskimo, and a Rastafarian trumpet player all congregate here. Oh and the doorman's a ninja. Given that The Moorings was reputedly established in 1965 there is a high probability that many of the aforementioned were once students (perhaps still are). They strictly enforce an 18+ policy so take ID, and despite it's reputation there is absolutely NEVER any trouble. The music policy seems to encompass everything from thrash to disco depending on the phase of the moon, and often all on the same night. Legend has it that this is the only place in Scotland that serves real absinthe. Everyone should visit at least once, even if it's only so they can warn their children about it later.

Illicit Still

Buy one get one free on a huge selection of meals with a student discount card (available at the bar, or during fresher's week). 40% off all drinks on a Monday, 20% off at all other times.

Free Q Jumps for Liquid available every Wednesday night!

Revolution

Revolution is known for its cocktails and if you get a Priveldge card you can get discounts on cocktails, food and other drinks. At the weekends there is a DJ downstairs which play a good mix of music to get you in the mood for moving onto a club. There is also a large outside seating area which is a great way to spend a sunny afternoon! Located on Belmont Street

Slains Castle

Located on Belmont Street. Serves food and drinks in a very well done-up spooky atmosphere. Pub Quiz on a Wednesday night.

Normally quite pricey, but the vibe of being set in an old church and good music from local musicians on Thursday's Acoustic night make it worth the extra few bob.

Siberian Vodka Bar

Located on Belmont Street. Serves food and drink. They have a large number of vodka shots to choose from including Jelly Baby, Pear Drop, Chilli and a whole host more, which are all made from the actual sweets or food stuffs on the premises.

Wildboar

Since being done up the wildboar is much more popular than it used to be. Serves good food and drinks. They offer variations on the Jager Bomb including Glitterbomb (goldschlager), SkittleBomb (Cointrau) and MelonBomb (Midori). Located on Belmont Street.

Archiblad Simpsons (JD Wetherspoons)

Cheap drinks and cheap food. Pitchers of coctails for only £4.99 and you will get about 4 drinks from a pitcher. Located near Castlegate. Can be quite posh and not always good if you're in the mood for being loud/very drunk!

Bassment

Downstairs from Moshulu Nightclub, this is a rock bar by night and a steakhouse by day. Loads of cocktail deals at all times. This bar has closed down now.

Paramount

£2 drinks with your Snapfax

Free Q Jumps for Liquid in this trendy bar

Jam

Pick up your wristband, or keyring for various discounts.

Nightclubs

Liquid (closed for refurbishment)

Liquid has a bit of a reputation as Aberdeen's 'Biggest Night Club'. It is split across 3 rooms with different music in each.

It's open every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday. Liquid frequently has guest dj's and drink promotions They have a facebook site so you can check out whats happening before you head out at night.

Closed for 10 weeks starting 1st Feb 2012 to be refurbished under new management.

Warehouse (Formorally Moshulu) (Now Closed)

A great club for those of you who think the likes of Cascada should be locked in a cupboard far, far away, as well as those who think otherwise. Club nights are Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, with free entry before midnight. Different drink promos which last all night make it a decent club for a boogie! Also hosts Obedience School twice a year, which is basically a burlesque/fetish night, with stalls, shows, and various DJ's.

Moshulu is currently being refurbished and will be reopened in time for Freshers week 2009 as 'Warehouse'. Music policy is said to be a little more mainstream than before with a mix of rock, electronic music, dance etc. Moshulu was famed for having a sticky carpet but this is being removed as part of the refurbishment.

Warehouse has now been closed due to noise complaints.

Exodus

Upstairs in Triple Kirks on the corner at the end of Belmont Street. Themed nights throughout the week. Tuesday is Motown night but expect just about anything from the 60's and 70's to be played. Tuesday is also a packed night for students, with the rest of Aberdeen being essentially dead. Wednesdays is Electro, and the rest of the time can be expected to be mostly Indie with a smattering of Nu Rave and Rock. Discounts with a Yellow Card.

Priory

Free entry, variable price drinks, and 3 floors make up this converted church. Albeit not the classiest of places with a bit of a reputation for being Aberdeen's most violent nightclub, it's still good for a few cheap drinks before hitting the likes of Tiger Tiger, Liquid or Exodus.

Expect drink prices to vary depending on the day of the week. Some nights you can pick up drinks for £1-2, other nights you might ask for a double and not get much change from £5. If in doubt, ask how much the drink is before they make it, otherwise it could end up ending badly for your wallet!

The ground floor is where the main bar and dancefloor is. A wide range of music is played there but generally expect to hear a lot of pop, dance, and RnB. The second floor is a massive balcony that looks down over the ground floor. There's a lot more seating up there, and the bar is much quieter. The basement is multi-purpose - during the week it can be hired out as a venue for private parties, and it's also used for karaoke. Again, the bar is quite quiet, if you can brave the sounds of someone swinging a bag of cats against the walls...

Fairly strict on ID, so be prepared to be asked. There is a cloakroom to store your coats, pay £1 for a ticket and hand it back upon departure to reclaim your belongings. This also applies to other clubs in the town, such as Liquid.

Espionage

50% off all drinks on a Monday, and 20% off on all other nights with a Snapfax. Free entry. Three floors.

Tiger Tiger

The main student night in Tiger Tiger is on a Monday evening; this is now called Vodka Island, where vodka is sold at around £1 per nip. Runs themed nights occasionally (recently: Vegas Casino, and Frat Party). You can get tickets and photos for this night from the website[1] There are also other fresher nights that you don't want to miss out on. This includes the event 300 on a Friday night and tickets are easy to purchase by going to [2].

Pearl Lounge

Host's 'Octopussy' on a Thursday night which is very popular with students. Wednesday night is also a popular student night. Drinks are cheap during the week but can be very expensive on weekends.

Snafu

A reasonably small nightclub but very popular. The music policy is a mixture of electronic varieties - disco, electro, techno and house. The most popular Wednesdays (Electrique Boutique) and also Sundays (Hot City). Drink prices for the student nights tend to be around the £1.50 mark, but on weekends and guest nights you may find this increases.

Snafu is the leading venue for DJ bookings and has played host to the likes of Steve Bug, Troy Pierce, Boys Noize, Fake Blood, Blawan, Bloody Beetroots, Aeroplane, Vitalic, The Crookers, Riton, Mystery Jets, and just about every other big name act. On the other hand the club has a reputation for pushing the best up and coming bookings and nurturing local talent. Check them - www.facebook.com/clubsnafu.aberdeen

Every Tuesday is the Snafu Comedy Club - which sees comedy talent from all over the country grace the stage to split your sides. A nice alternative to the cinema, or an even better prelude to a fun night out.

The Rig (now closed)

New club...used to be Charlies (and was ned central). Shut down in May 2010.

Origin

Aberdeen's home for dubstep and drum & bass lovers. While primarily running several nights for varying tastes in the sub-genres of dubstep and drum & bass, Origin also hosts tropical, grime and techno nights.

The Moorings Bar

Pirate themed alternative bar cum music venue near the harbour. This place is open till 3am on Friday and Saturday nights when admission is £3 after 8.45pm. For full details see the section further up under "Student Bars".

Other

Sunset Boulevard

Monday nights are student nights here, with £1 games of bowling, and cheap drinks. Bowl to various DJs at the weekend.

Cinemas

Vue

On union street, so nice and easy to get to.

£3.50 with a student card, but as with anywhere prices for drinks and food is extortionate.

Cineworld (Beach)

Down the beach, this one is a bit harder to get to, but has the best student prices. Use your snapfax here to get £1 off a student ticket.

Cineworld (Union Square)

Largest cinema in Aberdeen, recently opened as part of the Union Square complex next to the railway station.

The Belmont Picturehouse

Located on Belmont Street, old-fashioned style cinema which shows independent and foreign films alongside better quality mainstream films. Smaller screen than places such as the VUE.

Special Events

Gigs

There are a number of different venues for different gigs in Aberdeen.

For the biggest gigs, head to the AECC, in Bridge of Don. Artists such as Muse, Jay-Z, and Girls Aloud have performed there, as well as shows such as Britain's Got Talent, The X Factor, and The Mighty Boosh (January 2009). Drinks, food, and merchandise are quite expensive there. Get there by taking the Red Line bus, which runs frequently 7 days a week. Paramore, JLS and Pendulum are scheduled to play in 2010.

The Music Hall is another popular venue for bands such as Bloc Party, We Are Scientists and Cascada. Drinks and merchandise are reasonably priced, and it's in a prime location for heading into town afterwards.

Smaller venues include The Moorings Bar near the harbour; The Tunnels underneath the St Nicholas square; Cafe Drummonds on Belmont St next to Vodka Bar, and The Blue Lamp. Generally these are the places to catch popular local bands in action, although some of them have played host to larger acts such as Pendulum.

The Tunnels and Cafe Drummonds are the lifeblood of the local music scene. Gigs are played at these venues most nights a week and lineups can range from all local bands to touring bands from across the country. They host a wide variety of gigs ranging from indie to death metal! Doors for gigs at Drummonds open at 7pm with the first bands usually onstage between 7:30pm and 8pm. Price varies with the promotor but expect it to be no more than £5 at the door. The capacity of Drummonds is around about the 200 mark.

The Tunnels is split into 2 rooms. Tunnels 1 and Tunnels 2. Tunnels 1 is the venue nearest the entrance. Both are roughly 200 capacity and have seating and a bar area. Like Drummonds door usually open about 7pm for gigs and prices are usually about £5 on the door. However their have been some internationally renowned bands such as Every Time I Die and Misery Signals playing at the Tunnels and these shows are around £10 in advance and usually sell out very quickly.

The Moorings Bar is yet another 200 capacity venue and boasts an awesome sound system. Gigs are held on Friday and Saturdays from 9pm-11pm usually featuring one touring band and one local band. Admission is free before 8.45pm and £3 thereafter and it's open till 3am on Fri/Sat. Gigs here can be very busy and it's advisable to show up early if you want a seat. Some bigger bands occasionally play here including Blaze Bayley, Eddie & the Hotrods, and Rocky Warwick. The Iron Maiden tribute band Maiden Scotland usually play a couple of times a year. Expect a messy night out. They also host a popular jam session on Sunday evenings.

The Blue Lamp is located on The Gallowgate, between Marischal College and Old Aberdeen. It's easy to find as there is a large blue lamp outside. The venue is split into two sections, one is a bar where the decor has reputedly remained the same since my grandmothers era (the 1960s), and the other is a room of about 150 capacity where they stage gigs. There are usually jazz and blues gigs on at weekends. Prices vary depending on the promoter.

Other Music Events

Northsound's 'Free' Concert

Every second year, Northsound radio takes over one of the large parks in Aberdeen to host an all day, free, open air music event, with local bands and more famous artists. Keep your eye on the northsound website, close to the summertime to get hold of your free tickets.

The event is currently hosted at Hazlehead Park in the North of the city and is held around the time of the Offshore Europe event at the AECC (September, bi-annual)

As of May 2009, Northsound have yet to unveil any detail of a 'free' concert n September 2009.

Other Aberdeen Sections

• University of Aberdeen Guide
• University of Aberdeen Accommodation Guide
• The University of Aberdeen Discussion Forum