10 Cool Things To Do In Leicester This Weekend

After a hard week of studying, you’ll wake up in your luxury student accommodation on a Saturday and be thinking about things to do in Leicester that will help you to relax and have fun.

You deserve some fun, so we’ve put together a list of 10 cool things to do in Leicester this weekend.

1. Visit the King Power Stadium

Leicester is a passionate sporting city and with our student accommodation in Leicester you’ll be in the heart of something very special.

We all saw how passionate the city is during 2016 where Leicester City provided the biggest sporting shock of all time by winning the Premier League (a year in which the city was also voted the UKs Greatest Sporting City).

In 2021 they’ve cemented a place in the top 6 teams in the country and won the FA Cup for the first time in their history.

Take a tour of the stadium this weekend, getting a flavour for the history of the club and how a modern-day Premier League club works from day to day.

2. Leicester Market

The largest outdoor covered market in the whole of Europe, Leicester Market is a treasure trove of over 300 stalls.

Whether you are looking for a morning stroll to pick out some fresh fruit, you want to buy some music, clothes, or just to soak up the local culture and speak to the real people of the city, the market is a great place to visit, located right by the clock tower in the centre of town.

3. National Space Centre

One of the most popular things to do in Leicester, especially for students living in the city, the National Space Centre is home to incredible exhibitions and special collections that are open all year round.

Leicester rightfully claims to be the Space city of the UK, it has been home to exceptional space research for over 60 years.

The six galleries (or galaxies) are full of satellites, meteorites, rockets and the largest domed planetarium in the UK.

You can blast off into space and view other planets and have an experience that is out of this world, seeing real suits worn by British astronauts in space.

The highlight is the 42-metre-high rocket tower which has been a spectacular addition to the Leicester skyline.

 4. Leicester Comedy Festival

In the early part of the year Leicester Comedy Festival comes to town, bringing the belly laughs from some of the finest comedic talent around.

The festival is often looked at by comedians on the circuit as a chance to prepare for Edinburgh and it is the largest and longest running comedy festival outside of Edinburgh.

There are hundreds of shows each year, across many different venues throughout the city and you’ll find up and coming newbies alongside veteran comedians, all honing their skills and working out bits in preparation for the summer.

It is a fantastic way to see some amazing comedy from current and future stars.

5. Canteen

Looking for the best in vibrant food and glorious cuisine?

Tickle your tastebuds this weekend with a trip to Canteen, a brilliant street food festival located in the Cultural Quarter.

On the last Friday of every month, Canteen is home to a whole host of street food vendors that visit from all over the country.

Alongside the rotating cast of foodies, there’s also a bar, a DJ spinning the tunes and even live comedy and other events.

Canteen is a great place to unwind at the weekend in Leicester, eating great food and having a laugh with friends.

6. Curve

For things to do in Leicester revolving around art and culture, Curve has you covered.

A state-of-the-art theatre located in the Cultural Quarter, Curve has been wowing visitors and audiences since opening back in 2008.

It is a unique building and inside it has no backstage area like almost every other theatre you can think of.

What this means is that audiences get a sneak-peak behind the making of theatre, making for an immersive and awe-inspiring theatre-going experience.

Curve has also delivered some inspiring digital content during the pandemic, keeping people entertained with thought-provoking work.

7. Great Central Railway

A little bit of Leisure and Tourism history for you – Thomas Cook arranged the first one-day rail trip back in 1841, charging passengers a shilling to travel from Leicester to Loughborough and back again on a chartered steam train.

That same route can still be taken today with a restored steam train taking passengers from Leicester North railway station through to Loughborough Central.

Sit back and experience what it was like to travel in style during the golden age of the steam engine, and with a section having a double track, you’ll also experience the fully immersive experience of two steam trains passing each other at full speed.

There is nowhere else in the world where this is still possible. Trains run every weekend and selected weekdays throughout the year and the First-Class Restaurant Car offers a five-course menu to indulge in.

Special themed events such as the 1940s Wartime Weekend and Steam Galas are also worth looking out for.

8. The Golden Mile

If you are looking for foodie things to do in Leicester this weekend, the Golden Mile is just a ten-minute walk outside of the city centre, along Belgrave Road and onto Melton Road.

Here, you’ll find loads of great Indian restaurants and shops where you can buy clothing and the best spices, right in the heart of the Asian community in Leicester.

This is also the place where you can experience the largest Diwali celebrations outside of India, so keep an eye on those dates in October or November every year.

9. The Cookie

The Cookie, located on the High Street, was once a small café next to a toy shop, but it has evolved over time to become a hub of activity, a centre for arts as a busy music venue and bar.

Above the venue is The Attic, a gin and cocktail bar that has the perfect roof terrace for a summer drink.

Every night of the week there is some sort of event going on at The Cookie, from live music and comedy to pub quizzes or just a cool hangout with friends. It’s a nice hidden gem to spend your weekend nights in the city centre.

10. New Walk

The New Walk area of Leicester is a pedestrianised walkway that takes you from the city centre out to Victoria Park.

Along the way, you’ll come across cafés, bars, nice restaurants and little eateries, as well as the amazing New Walk Museum (opened in 1849 as one of the first public museums in the UK).

Just going out for a stroll along New Walk is a nice experience but the museum is great too.

There are some amazing exhibitions, especially for those dinosaur fans out there, and afterwards, you can make your way to Victoria Park for a wander and a sit down, watching the world go by.

Victoria Park is home to some festivals throughout the year, with the Caribbean Carnival a favourite on the calendar.