York named second best city in UK for a night out by Get Licensed

A study by training provider Get Licensed analysed the number of venues per head, the cost of a pint and a range of safety issues to reveal the best nights out in Britain.

Newcastle topped the list with a night out score of 8.19/10 closely followed by York, which scored 8.14/10.

At the other end of the scale, London was crowned the worst city for a night out with a score of 1.73.

Cities were also scored on the average cost of a pint of beer, which was said to be £5.68 in York. How safe cities were was also considered. 

A Get Licensed spokesperson praised York for its choice of “commercial chain bars and quirky independent pubs”.

York has been named as the second best city in the UK for a night out (Image: Newsquest)

“Considering York’s small population of just over 153,000, the city hosts many traditional real ale and cider pubs (161 per 100,000) and is also known for its safe streets, with a safety index score of 73.09,” they said.

Matt Mavir, the managing director of stag and hen do provider Last Night of Freedom, said: “Like it or not, this is proof York is now a must-visit party destination.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all. The reputation York has, particularly with stags and hens, is that it is fun, friendly and vibrant.”

Matt Mavir, the managing director of Last Night of Freedom (Image: Last Night of Freedom)

As reported by The Press, York has exploded in popularity as a stag and hen destination over the past year. 

Figures supplied by Last Night of Freedom showed the firm’s bookings alone are up 98 per cent during the past 12 months.

York Central MP, Rachael Maskell, has previously hit out at the rising night time economy of the city.

Read past stories about the topic:

• Detering York stag and hen dos 'backfiring spectacularly', say firm
• York facing a ‘stag party drought’ in 2023
• 'Patronising' and 'cringeworthy' - booking firm hits out at York stag and hen guide

“The night time economy is running out of control, with York being marked out as the UK’s capital of hen parties,” she said.

"We need to put it to a stop, place the needs of residents first and return our city to the people of York.”

Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central (Image: Supplied)

Ms Maskell previously accused Last Night of Freedom of 'wanting to make profit out of the misery' of people living in the city and said that if Mr Mavir lived anywhere near York, he would clearly hear the concerns that residents have across the city with the prevalence of groups drinking in the city, including those here for stag and hen weekends.

Reacting to today’s figures, Mr Mavir added: “Certain politicians will likely moan that York doesn’t want this accolade, but instead they should appreciate how York’s outstanding independent bars, pubs and restaurants are bringing so many visitors to the city.

“York has always relied on history to bring in tourism – but hospitality is clearly a huge part of the city’s future.”

The research from Get Licensed can be viewed in full at: https://www.get-licensed.co.uk/get-daily/britains-best-night-out-where-in-the-uk-offers-the-best-nightlife-experience-in-2023/