Freshers’ Week is always the big litmus test for the Cambridge nightlife calendar. It sets the tone for the months ahead, decides which nights get momentum, and, let’s be honest, shows us how willing the new wave of students are to get stuck in.
So how did this year’s Anglia Ruskin freshers stack up?
On paper, it wasn’t the explosive return many in the industry were hoping for. Turnout was stronger than last year, but still carried that cautious energy we’ve been seeing since 2021. The appetite is there — you could feel it in the rooms that did hit capacity — but it wasn’t spread evenly across the board. Some nights flew, others dragged.
For many promoters, that’s been the sticking point. Expectations were high, and the reality didn’t quite match. Yet compared to last year, the numbers were healthier, and the mood was less subdued. It felt like a step in the right direction, even if it wasn’t the leap everyone was banking on.
The real challenge now is retention. Freshers’ Week is only one chapter, what matters is how many of those faces we keep seeing into October, November, and beyond. The Cambridge scene is still working its way back to the highs of the late 2010s, but with a steadier showing this September, there’s reason to believe the climb is still on.
For now? ARU’s freshers showed up better than last year, but the bar is still higher, and the industry will be watching closely to see if this cohort has the staying power.
