You've picked a good time to arrive in Cardiff. It's a city which has long endured a reputation for raucous, boozy nightlife, best exemplified by the rambunctious scenes on St Mary's St on rugby international nights. But the past few years have seen massive strides forward and all of a sudden, it's as exciting a place to go out as it's ever been.While you won't quite find the sheer scale of events, as you would in, say Bristol or Manchester, you will find low prices, community spirit, an infectiously down-to-earth approach to partying and a compact urban area. Venues are increasingly interesting—bank vaults, warehouses, antique centres and car parks host some of the Welsh capitals' best raves—and there's a raft of young new promoters joining some of the city's more established names.
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Of course, not everything is rosy. The city's boozy predisposition mean that many clubs cater to a drinkers' crowd, and you'll be pushed to find many clubs open beyond 4am, meaning you'll have to make your own fun when chucking out time comes.But all in all, this small city with a tremendous sense of self will always find new ways to surprise you, just when you think you've exhausted all of its considerable fun reserves. Here's how to make the most of Cardiff.Tucked behind Cardiff Central stands a four-storey Victorian building which has survived bulldozing despite the burgeoning office developments around it. In the day, it's worth a visit—like a big museum where the exhibits are all for sale—but it's as a club space that it really comes into its own. This is Jacobs Antiques.Teak, who cater for discerning 4/4 tastes, were the first to make use of the venue, bringing a hitherto unthinkable calibre of artists to Cardiff. The past 18 months or so has seen everyone from DJ Sprinkles, Prins Thomas and Mr Ties grace its basement. Other promoters have started to make use of it, too, including local purveyors of none-more-chunky house and techno, Delete.The buzz around the parties means tickets are often gone within seconds of sales opening. If you've missed out, there's usually a brisk aftersales marketplace with people shifting spares at face value. There are rooftop parties during the summer too.
A Club
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A Really Good Pub
A Decent Restaurant for Someone on a Budget
A Great Gig Venue
A Record Shop
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