Why choose Leicester for your next event?
Location is one of the most important factors in event planning. Leicester is ideally situated in the heart of England, with excellent transport links for both national and international visitors. Whether you’re joining us for the day or an extended stay, let us use our local knowledge to help you make the most of your visit to our city.
Historical Leicester
Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England and our rich history can be explored through one of our many city museums. The remains of the ancient Roman baths at Jewry Wall are just a stones throw from our campus, alongside artefacts and exhibits depicting Roman life in Leicester. Or why not visit the final resting place of our ‘King in the Car Park’ at , followed by a visit to the , where you can learn all about the life and death of this infamous monarch.
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Cultural Leicester
Leicester is proud to be a multicultural city and in 2016 a study by the Economic and Social Research Council named Narborough Road (right next to our campus!) the most diverse street in the UK with shops run by people from 22 countries spread across four continents. Leicester also hosts a number of festivals throughout the year, including the Leicester , Riverside Festival, Caribbean Carnival and the celebrations which attract 35,000 people yearly to Belgrave Road or ‘The Golden Mile’ as its’ known; these celebrations are among the largest of anywhere in the world outside of India!
Fancy catching a show whilst you’re in town? You’ll have plenty of choice if you do! , and are where you can go to watch a variety of plays, musicals and concerts.
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Sporting Leicester
Leicester boasts an incredible legacy of sporting achievement, from (need we mention our 5000-1 Premier League winning season again?!), , or the basketball team. If you can’t make it to a match, why not take advantage of some of the stadium tours on offer, or even a trip to the club shops for a souvenir?
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Shopping & Dining
Leicester is bursting with independent shops, cafes and restaurants, many of which can be found in St Martin’s Square and The Lanes. Leicester is also famous for its’ covered outdoor fruit & veg market, which sells quality local produce at great prices! Or if you’re after some serious retail therapy, the and shopping centres are packed with your favourite high street and designer stores.
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Our recommendations
Getting tips from the locals is always best, so here are some of our team’s favourite things to do in and around Leicester:
Ahsan: “Leicester has some amazing bike paths, waterways and walking trails through the heart of the city. I would definitely recommend exploring the River Soar and the Grand Union Canal. Leicester also has a thriving and vibrant street art scene.”
Ellie: “I love Leicester market - Europe's largest covered market in fact! There’s hundreds of stalls selling fruit and veg for every type of cuisine; the atmosphere is always lively and there are some great characters!”
Katie: “I love exploring different independent coffee shops, restaurants and bars around the city. St Martins Square is one of my favourite locations and is worth a visit especially in summer!”
Kezia: “My favourite spot is Bradgate Park where you can explore Swithland Woods, Beacon Hill, Cropston Reservoir and the climb up to Old John, followed by afternoon tea in the nearby tea rooms.”
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Gorgeous Green Spaces
Leicestershire is home to multiple parks, open spaces and countryside ready to explore. From Castle Park situated right on campus to the 800 year old Bradgate Park with free roaming deers and an impressive 830 acres of countryside there's plenty of choice when it comes to getting back to nature.
What’s on Campus?
If you don’t feel like venturing far, then you’ll still find plenty of varied and interesting things to do on our campus!
51Âþ» Heritage Centre
Built around the medieval arches of the Church of Annunciation, 51Âþ»’s Heritage Centre showcases the rich history that surrounds our campus and tells the story of the university and its contribution to teaching, research and the lives of our students over 150 years. It hosts two gallery spaces which will support our ongoing temporary exhibitions programme.
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Opening Times: Tuesday to Friday – 12:00pm-17:00pm
Admission: Free
The Gallery
51Âþ» boasts its own art gallery, providing a rich resource for the general public to participate in projects, and encounter world-class artists. Previous exhibitions include the work of Grayson Perry and Jonathan Monk.
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Opening Times: Monday to Saturday – 12:00pm-17:00pm
Admission: Free
The Stephen Lawrence Research Centre (SLRC)
The SLRC is comprised of an exhibition space drawn from the Stephen Lawrence archive that chronicles the 25-year journey towards justice in the aftermath of Stephen Lawrence’s tragic death. Additionally, the centre also houses seminar space and learning area with computer terminals, space for informal conversation and a mini-library for public use.
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Opening Times: Monday to Friday – 12:00pm-17:00pm
Admission: Free
The QEII Diamond Jubilee Leisure Centre
Our state-of-the-art leisure centre boasts facilities including a 25-metre swimming pool, climbing wall (perfect for team-building activities), eight court sports hall, fitness suite and dance studio. A comprehensive programme of workout classes are also held at the centre, catering for all fitness levels.
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Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Leisure Centre
Opening Times:
Monday to Friday – 06:30am-22:00pm
Saturday – 08:00am-20:00pm
Sunday – 09:00am-20:00pm
Admission: Pay-as-you-go prices vary per activity