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A Clubber's guide to Bournemouth

At Licklist, we aim to provide the most up-to-date information on where the hottest bars and clubs are. Here’s the low-down on what good-old Bournemouth has to offer.

So Bournemouth is pretty well known for their night’s out. It’s by the seaside and a perfect location for a long-weekend with the gals, or for a stag-do. Being a student here though, is where Bournemouth exceeds itself. Every single night Bournemouth, brings its University students a genuine night that they’ll never forget.

Mondays; the start of a long week of endless deadlines and early mornings. A relatively new club and bar, Lost Gardens dominates the Mondays. With its ‘lost island’ decor, it even continues this theme in to the toilets. Students can get their hands on their ‘Lost Pass’, which entitles them to queue jump, and three drinks, all for £4. Who could turn this down? Lost Gardens club is definitely worth dressing up for boys and girls, so get out your heels and best shirts.

With it’s quirky interior that resembles some sort of classic New York loft apartment, Vodka Revolution is also a popular choice on Mondays. Serving food throughout the day and with free entry in the evening for those who love 2-4-1 on selected cocktails, Revs is the perfect way to start your week.

On Tuesdays, we’re a bit spoilt for choice. Tuesday nights are definitely popular, with most clubs offering £1 drinks. Yates and Bar Me offer ‘Toast’, where they actually give out toast (slightly burnt) with lashings of butter to those who might have had just a bit too much drink, or actually just fancy a nice bit of home comfort. Walkabout has ‘Poundabout Tuesdays’, for those who enjoy £1 shots and getting their shoes stuck to the floor.

Wednesday nights are traditionally for Varsity – a whole range of ridiculous fancy dress. Cameo is a popular choice for mid-week antics. However, it’s like a maze in there. There’s a high chance of losing your friends in the crowd. Expect to have to search the crowds for long periods of time.

Thursdays have always been the ‘traditional’ student night out in Bournemouth. Bonsai dominates Thursdays, and has slightly overtaken Lola Lo on this day of the week. With its Deep House tunes and oriental vibe, Bonsai really wants its guests to dress to impress. Although the dance floor itself is quite small, you are not short of a seat in the VIP booths, or upstairs, where they turn the sushi-bar into seating.

The Old Fire Station dominates Fridays. ‘Lollipop’ is their weekly cheesy night. Often frequented by students in dire need of forgetting the long week they’ve just had, Lollipops cheap drinks and love of Whitney Houston offers everything a student looks for. Let’s be honest, after a week of lectures and deadlines, we all just Wanna Dance with Somebody. Cheap drinks, cheesy tunes. Literally Lollipop in a nutshell.

Saturdays are the most expensive out of the whole week, which is expected in a holiday town resort. But that doesn’t stop us here at Licklist. Bonsai, again, is one of the prime spots, with its drink deals hard to resist. Similarly, Cameo becomes one of the busiest clubs in Bournemouth on a Saturday night. With free entry before 11:30, there able to entice even the most tame of us.

Saturday has to be Halo’s most popular night. This is the only club in the UK that is based inside a church, definitely offering a unique experience to all its party-lovers. Its Saints and Sinners Saturday night really does live up to its name. Offering a loyalty card service, everyone has the chance to jump the queue and purchase some sinfully cheap drinks. Praise the Lord.

Last, but by no means least, there’s Sunday. It’s a common misconception to think Sunday has nothing to offer for club-lovers. But it has to be said, Bournemouth does it well. Walkabout is the chosen one for this day of the week. With ‘Snakebite Sunday’, drinks are oh-so-very-cheap, and the tunes are at full force.

However, there’s a new club in town, Plush. After taking over two whole venues, Plush has potentially changed the entire balance of Bournemouth’s nightclub scene. With it opening its doors last month, it has already had celebrity guest appearances, including Mario Falcone off TOWIE and Jason Derulo. Possibly Bournemouth’s hottest club, this place is on the way up!

By Hollie Climie