Campus culture and entertainment

Watch. Listen. Play. Perform. You’ll have plenty to keep you busy or help you unwind.

If anything really takes your fancy, and you want to get stuck in, your perfect student society are always looking for their latest recruit.

Explore student societies

Music

Between them, your campus bars and venues cover all kinds of regular events:

Jazz/folk nights, music lessons and workshops in Vanbrugh College.
Various concerts and ensembles in Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall.

You'll have karaoke. You'll have Battle of the Bands. You'll have loads. A small brag: Jimi Hendrix gigged on campus in 1967. We named Hendrix Hall in tribute.

Sarah, BA Music. Read Sarah's blog post.

Cinema

As a handy way to get your film fix, the student-run York Student Cinema often screen blockbusters and hidden gems on campus. It's York's cheapest cinema, with discounts on food and drink to boot.

Meet York Student Cinema

Performances

Dance. Drama. Comedy. It's yours.

Our black-box theatre, The Drama Barn, is home to student-run drama nights and full productions every year.

Comedian Harry Enfield is a graduate of York. He's even cooler than Hendrix.

The York Students' Union has some exciting societies to get involved with, from Drama Society to the Central Hall Musical Society, the Gilbert & Sullivan Society to Pantomime Society (PantSoc) and the Shakespeare Society, plus the Comedy Society.

Art

Our student-run Norman Rea Art Gallery (normanrea.com) hold exhibitions to showcase work from students and professionals all year round.

Together with the uni's Roslyn Lyons Art Gallery, workshop series, Scott Award, campus sculpture trail and Art Collection, you'll be spoiled for choice as an art lover at York.