Study at Cardiff | Campus Life

A vibrant city

Outside Jamie's Italian in Cardiff's busy city centre (Andrew Hazard, courtesy visitcardiff.com)

Lively, elegant, confident, cosmopolitan, Cardiff caters for all tastes, offering everything from the excitement of a vibrant city life to the peace and tranquility of the nearby coast and countryside.

Varied cultural and social life

• See internationally-renowned opera, dance, theatre and concerts at the Wales Millennium Centre, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff and historic New Theatre.
• Watch an eclectic mix of film, dance and drama at venues such as the Sherman Theatre and Chapter Arts Centre.
• Expand your learning in the extensive City Library and the National Museum and Gallery of Wales.
• Experience the unique historical architecture of Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch.
• A wide range of food is available, from traditional Welsh cuisine to a whole host of international restaurants and takeaways.
• Relax and have fun in the many pubs, clubs and bars around the city. Many venues hold student nights or have special offers with NUS cards.
• See top artists perform at the Cardiff Big Weekend every summer: a free music event with big music names and a funfair.
• Immerse yourself in the world of Doctor Who, the iconic television programme filmed on location in Cardiff. Some Cardiff University buildings have been used as part of the set, and there is a permanent Doctor Who exhibition in Cardiff Bay, which houses, amongst other exhibits, actual props and clothes from the popular series.

Quality sport facilities

• Olympic swimming pool, ice rink (home to the city’s ice-hockey team, the Cardiff Devils), and white water rafting at the International Sports Village, which will play a part in the 2012 Olympics.
• Millennium Stadium with 73,000 capacity, home to international rugby and hosts key football matches and large music gigs.
• Cardiff International Sports Stadium (multi-sport track and field athletics) and Cardiff City football stadium (home to Cardiff City Football Club and Cardiff blues Rugby Club).
• SWALEC Stadium offers first-class cricket, located in the heart of the beautiful Sophia Gardens.

Award-winning shopping

• Cardiff offers some of the most varied and extensive shopping facilities outside London.
• The historic covered market, and the glass-canopied Victorian and Edwardian shopping arcades, host independent bookstores, record shops, and more.
• There are large, contemporary shopping centres (including St David’s Centre, one of the largest complexes in the UK) and pedestrianised shopping streets offering a range of shopping from designer names to high street stores.

Opportunities to relax

• Cardiff Bay, previously the world's largest coal exporting port, is now Europe's biggest waterfront development, with a wealth of leisure activities and places to eat and drink.
• All 330 of Cardiff's parks and gardens are superb open spaces. They cut across the city, offering a green haven for studying and relaxing.