City and nightlife

The area around the Cowley Road is vibrant and diverse. Its restaurants cater to all tastes – Jamaican, Thai, Polish, Kurdish, Italian, Lebanese and more. It is also home to lots of pubs and live music venues, including the O2 Academy which attracts many high-profile acts.

Just north-west of the centre, the part of town known as Jericho is famous for its cocktail bars and high-end restaurants, although Pepper’s burgers are also legendary. There are also picturesque walks across Port Meadow and an arthouse cinema.

Many student club nights are held in the city. Down on Park End Street, R’n’B, hip-hop, and classic ‘cheese’ dominate the playlists. Just off Cornmarket Street, the Purple Turtle offers free entry to Oxford Union members, and next door the Cellar offers a different theme each night, from dancehall and dubstep through comedy nights and live bands to electronica and metal.

And if all that’s not enough, the bus to London takes 90 mins and runs 24 hours a day.

You will find all the usual high street stores, as well as smaller independent retailers. The famous Covered Market has everything from quirky fashion boutiques to pie shops.

Summer events include Cowley Road Carnival, the Jericho Street Fair and Oxford Pride. Summer Eights, the colleges’ rowing competition, takes place every June and attracts large numbers of students supporting their college from the river bank. Whether you are sporty or not, you can enjoy the buzz and party atmosphere at the event, which lasts several days.

Historic events include ‘May Morning’, where on 1 May crowds gather at sunrise to listen to choristers singing an invocation to summer from the top of Magdalen College tower. Over the years this has turned into a real celebration with balls, parties, and long opening hours.