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Going out

A guide to a night out at the Student’s Union club

27 May 2022
James

James

For those students who would like to embrace the nightlife of the Welsh capital but would also prefer to keep within student circles for any number of reasons, the Student’s Union club “Y Plas” is the perfect location for a night out. There are two events each week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with both serving slightly different purposes and student demographics, though the SU does halt these events during the holidays and exam periods. Being exclusively for students, everything about a night out at the SU is tailored towards the student experience, ensuring that everyone has as safe, fun and memorable an experience as possible.

On Wednesday evenings, the SU hosts the “YOLO” event, which is specifically tailored towards society socials (sports societies in particular), and so most of the groups that do go, go as part of one of these societies. This does not exclude others from going, though you will be outnumbered by the large socials who occupy various areas of the hall, with each most likely having a different costume theme. Themed socials are the aesthetical highlight of every Wednesday at the SU, with societies running costume themes from “togas” to “celebrity-crushes” to “anything but clothes”, and everyone puts in great effort to create some fantastic results. The Student Union opens up several rooms as part of Y Plas, with a main hall, R&B side room, another side room with extra bars and seating space, and a balcony over-looking the DJs stage. The deals on drinks have also been made as affordable as possible for students, and so you will often find that this is one of the cheapest nights out in the city.

On Saturdays, the SU hosts their “Juice” event, which despite its name is not a non-alcoholic affair. This night is very similar to YOLO, however it is designed to be more open to groups of friends, hall mates and course mates, rather than for societies. On special occasions, such as the last SU night out before Christmas (SNOLO) or before the exam period, Y Plas will be extended to include the Great Hall, in which a silent disco is hosted. Every occupant is given headphones with three or four different tracks playing at once, depending on your setting, and is often the best room of the entire club, although it probably looks a bit odd without your headphones on. Unlike for some other clubs, the SU has a plethora of bars and plenty of toilets and outdoor space. It is no wonder that it is almost always filled to its full capacity, being extremely popular. During freshers, the SU will host more frequent events to help break the ice between all of the new students at Cardiff University, and those who go along are often set a few simple challenges to aid them with making friends, such as getting others to sign your white top with sharpies. Overall, the SU is a wonderful place to introduce students to Cardiff’s nightlife, in a safe and friendly way, with some of my own best clubbing memories being within the walls of Y Plas.