Student Accommodation

Leicester

The Universities

Leicester has two universities, De Montfort University and the University of Leicester, and Loughborough University is a short train ride away.

University of Leicester

The University of Leicester is a research-intensive university with a campus close to Victoria Park. It’s the place where Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys invented DNA fingerprinting in 1984, and where researchers led the search that found and identified the remains of Richard III in 2012. It offers a wide range of subjects, with a focus on research-led teaching.

De Montfort University

De Montfort University (DMU) traces its roots to the Leicester School of Art, established in 1870, and became a university in 1992. Its campus is in the historic centre of Leicester, close to the Magazine Gateway, Leicester Castle and Castle Gardens on the River Soar. A short walk from the campus, New Walk is a tree-lined Georgian promenade.

DMU is organised into four faculties: Arts, Design and Humanities; Business and Law; Computing, Engineering and Media; and Health and Life Sciences. Its Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Leisure Centre, opened in 2012, provides sports and fitness facilities for students.

Treat Yourself

Leicester has a wide range of places to eat, from cafés and brunch spots to vegetarian restaurants and the curry houses of the Golden Mile. Whether you want breakfast before a lecture, a light lunch or a big meal with friends, there’s plenty to choose from.

Jones’ Café Bistro

Jones’ Café Bistro at 93 Queens Road, in Clarendon Park, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, including hot meals, light lunches and homemade desserts, with vegetarian and vegan options. It’s open from morning until the evening, with set menus in the afternoon and evening, and is known for its brunch.

Phoenix

Phoenix at 4 Midland Street is an independent cinema and arts centre in the city centre, with a café bar open to the public. It serves food and drinks from brunch to evening, so it’s a handy spot before or after a film.

The Good Earth

The Good Earth at 19 Free School Lane is Leicester’s oldest vegetarian café and restaurant, founded in 1965. It serves home-cooked vegetarian and vegan dishes, salads and cakes, and it’s family run.

The Golden Mile

Leicester is known for its South Asian food, and the Golden Mile on Belgrave Road is the centre of it, with a wide range of Indian restaurants, vegetarian eateries and sweet shops. It’s usually a short bus ride from the city centre, and it’s also the focus of the city’s Diwali celebrations.

More Places

For coffee and brunch, Northern Cobbler is a local coffee roaster with cafés in Leicester, including on Queens Road in Clarendon Park, which has a good reputation for brunch.

Nights Out

Leicester has a lively nightlife scene, with student club nights, live music venues and bars across the city. It’s also a city with a real mix of students and locals, so many venues have a friendly, welcoming feel.

Mosh

Mosh at 37 St Nicholas Place is one of Leicester’s best-known student clubs, popular for its alternative and indie nights. It has three floors and holds student club nights several times a week, with music ranging from indie and rock to pop and dance.

Club Republic

Club Republic on Gravel Street is a large multi-room nightclub with several bars and a regular programme of student nights, guest DJs and live acts. Opening nights and room layouts change, so it’s worth checking the club’s website or ticket pages for the current schedule.

Live Entertainment

For live music and performance, Leicester has several independent venues. The Big Difference at 68 High Street is an independent music, comedy and arts venue and bar that opened in 2020. Firebug on Millstone Lane opened in 2004 and combines a bar, restaurant and live music venue, with club nights, quizzes and gigs. The Shed on Yeoman Street has been part of the city’s music scene since 1994, and was refurbished in 2017 with a café and bar, hosting live music, club nights and comedy. The Soundhouse in the St George’s Cultural Quarter is an independent live music venue with a weekly songwriters’ open mic on Tuesday nights.

Staying Fit and Healthy

Leicester has a strong sporting tradition, with plenty to watch and take part in, from football and rugby to basketball, speedway and cricket.

Football

Leicester City Football Club plays at the King Power Stadium and is the city’s best-known team. The club won the Premier League title in 2016 and the FA Cup in 2021, and in 2016 Leicester was named the UK’s Greatest Sporting City. Matchdays bring a real buzz to the city, whichever division the Foxes are playing in.

Other Sports

Leicester Tigers, one of English rugby union’s most successful clubs, play their home matches at Mattioli Woods Welford Road. The Leicester Riders basketball team, founded in 1967, play at the Morningside Arena, and Leicester Lions speedway team race at Beaumont Park. Leicestershire County Cricket Club plays at Grace Road. Leicester Racecourse is in Oadby, to the south of the city, and holds around 30 race meetings a year, including flat, hurdle and steeplechase racing.

Sports Clubs

Both De Montfort University and the University of Leicester have a wide range of sports clubs and teams to join, from social to competitive. DMU’s Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Leisure Centre, opened in 2012, provides sport and fitness facilities for students.

Outdoor Sports

Leicester and Leicestershire offer a wide range of outdoor activities, including climbing, cycling, watersports, target sports and assault courses. The city has parks and green spaces for running and cycling, and there are outdoor pursuits centres across the county.

Where to Shop

Once you’ve settled into your luxury student accommodation in Leicester, you’ll want to find the supermarkets and shops that suit you, along with the high street brands and independent gems that make the city worth exploring.

Leicester Market

Leicester Market is one of Europe’s largest outdoor covered markets, with a history of several centuries. While the historic market site is being redeveloped, the outdoor market is operating from a temporary home on Green Dragon Square, behind the Corn Exchange, with stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables, speciality produce, clothing and household goods. Visit Leicester recommends it as a good source of fruit and vegetables at competitive prices. Please check the market’s website for the latest on the redevelopment and opening times.

Shopping Centres

Highcross is Leicester’s largest shopping centre and the largest in the East Midlands, with a John Lewis, Next, an Apple Store, Waterstones and a 12-screen Cinema de Lux, plus restaurants. Haymarket Shopping Centre, next to the bus station, has more than 60 stores over two floors, including Primark, TK Maxx and H&M, and is known as one of Britain’s oldest indoor shopping centres.

Independent Stores

Leicester has a good independent scene, especially around the Lanes and the Royal Arcade. Above Ground, formerly Pink Pigeon Forever, is in the Royal Arcade and sells vintage and secondhand clothing, from leather jackets to designer labels and streetwear. The Wardrobe is a long-established vintage store selling retro and vintage clothing for men and women, including denim jackets, polo shirts and 60s dresses.

Go Explore!

Leicester has plenty to see and do, from museums and street art to festivals and live entertainment. You can explore as much or as little as you like from your luxury Leicester student accommodation.

Art and History

The National Space Centre is one of Leicester’s best-known attractions, and the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery is a good place to see art, ancient Egyptian displays and dinosaur fossils. The city is also known for its street art, with a self-guided trail of murals across the centre. Bring the Paint, an international street art festival organised by Graffwerk, takes place every two years and brings artists from around the world to create large-scale works across the city.

Parks

Abbey Park is close to the city centre, and is a good place to relax with friends or take a walk. It hosts events through the year, including the Leicester Food Festival and the city’s main fireworks display. Bradgate Park is a little further out and offers countryside views and wildlife.

Live Entertainment

Curve Theatre stages live drama, musicals and dance, and De Montfort Hall hosts touring bands and comedy. The Leicester Food Festival takes place in Abbey Park in August, with food stalls, live music and entertainment across a weekend.

Festivals

Leicester Comedy Festival takes place each February, and is billed as Europe’s largest comedy festival, with hundreds of events across the city centre. In summer, there’s the Riverside Festival, and later in the year the Leicester Mela, Leicester Diwali celebrations and the Christmas markets, which include an ice rink and the Wheel of Light.