Licklist Guide to… Ipswich
With a growing student population, a lively nightlife, loads of fantastic pubs, and some even better bars and clubs, Ipswich in Suffolk is a party destination that caters to all tastes. There are two main areas to Ipswich nightlife, the Town Centre and Cardinal Park area. The Town Centre offers you range of clubs and pubs situated nearby popular shopping locations such as the Tower Ramparts Shopping area. Cardinal Park is the ideal place for after work drinks or socializing with friends as it’s home to a large cinema (Cineworld), a variety of restaurants, pubs, take-outs and cocktail bars and is just a short walk from Ipswich Town FC and the train station.
A particular favourite amongst our ‘Lickers’ is Ipswich’s Liquid & Envy (originally Liquid) in Cardinal Park. This leading nightclub brand combines state-of-the-art lighting, sound and laser technology with stunning 360-degree graphics and visuals to enhance the clubbing experience. The club holds a whopping capacity of 1450 clubbers , amazing drink offers and a host of different theme nights thrown into the mix: Mondays bring you Fundamental- the ultimate Indie Rock night out! There are two rooms of music; DJ Ed Barnes delivers fresh cuts of Indie Pop and Dance (from Bastille to Paramore, Killers to Rudamental, Skrillex to Foals) in Liquid while local legend Stevo offers a night of heavy rock and metal in Envy.
Thursday is Bubblegum Vs Fresh, where DJ Mal leads the way with a vast mix of music to suit everyone’s needs. You name it; he’ll play it, from cheese to chart-toppers. DJ Mal is the only DJ around brave enough to go from Busted and Westlife to Skrillex and Nero in the space of 3 songs! DJ Will Moser takes over Liquid on a Friday night with his Mac Book filled with the biggest club anthems and floor fillers for a whole night of sing-a-long, hands-in-the-air fun. Why not get involved in the action on Liquid dance floor.
Saturday in Liquid is Essential Saturdays hosted by the amazing resident DJ Simon Latham, playing everything you would expect to hear in a nightclub on a Saturday night. Simon plays all the greatest tracks to get you dancing your way through 'til Sunday morning! Not forgetting in Envy there’s the SWAG team (Ashanti Yard, DJ Kantes and DJ Stranja plus the host Carla AKA Miss Loops!) who offer the freshest Urban, R'n'B, Dancehall and Bashment tracks each week.
As if hosting Ipswich's best club nights wasn't enough to keep the clubbers satisfied, they have also hosted some of the biggest names in popular music, including DJ EZ, East 17, Coolio and Olly Murs. They always have some irresistible offers on drinks like 2-4-1 cocktails, £2.50 vodka mixers and just £1.50 to double-up- so you’ll be silly not to try it.
Another popular venue, closer in to town, is the classic Lloyds Bar- Robert Ransome, on Tower Street. As a big chain all over the UK, you can always rely on Spoons to have the components for a great night out. Whether you’re lining your stomach with the delicious pub grub or dancing the night away, Lloyds has it all. So come on down and explore some of Ipswich’s premiere late night venues- you wont be disappointed.
By Kayleigh Stevens