Local club nights are welcomed, say city residents, and diversity is needed.
A city with over 8,000 students and thousands more locals, Stirling is a place that offers a very restricted clubbing experience in comparison to other urban university areas.
The city hosts only one one club and occasional club nights in function spaces- and Brig’s research has found the people are pleading for more evening excitement.
In the exclusive Brig survey, over 60 per cent of students and locals surveyed said Stirling’s clubbing experience left little to be admired in comparison to other major Scottish cities.
When asked if they ever enjoy clubbing in Stirling, nearly 60 per cent said they only sometimes or rarely enjoying clubbing in the little historic city.
One respondent said: “It’s the same night every time, and it gets old.
“Same music, same people. It can be a nice familiarity but it is boring.
“It’s just the same night out constantly… clubbing in Stirling is like Groundhog Day.”
Variation used to exist within Stirling’s nightlife. A second nightclub, Dusk, was open prior to the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown. Savoured for it’s Skint Tuesday deals, Dusk offered an alternative to Fubar, the rival club which now holds the title of Stirling’s singular nightclub.
However, most respondents arrived in Stirling or came of-age after the death of Dusk and consequently have not experience a dual-club Stirling.
However, the loss of Dusk has led to an increase in one-off club events in venues.
Settle Out, Stirling’s queer club night, claimed the last Friday of every month in Spring 2025 to the very apparent joy of Stirling locals who crammed the venue to capacity each event.
Co-founder and University of Stirling student, Robbie McAvenue, who revived the project with his partner, Sam Gibb, said things like Settle Out are needed to give Stirling’s residents a boost.
He said: “It’s nice… I felt like there was nothing or nowhere for someone like me to go.
“Settle Out is something fun, different. It’s a different option for people bored or unhappy with the norm.”
Events like Settle Out are a success because there is a demand for something new. People want an exciting, lively deviation from the norm.
Hopefully the cry for clubbing opportunities will not fall on deaf ears. Entrepreneurial and creative souls should bear in mind that Stirling has a cavernous gap in the nightlife market that residents are desperate to be filled.
Featured Image Credit: Alex Paterson
Editor-in-Chief.
Twitter/X and BlueSky: @AlexPaterson01
