A definitive ranking of Foundry events from a true expert

If you ask University of Sheffield students where some of their favourite nights out are, there’s a high chance that the Foundry’s events will make that list very frequently. Hidden deep underground in the bowels of the Students’ Union, Foundry hosts some of the best club nights for students to enjoy on a weekly basis. Some of its subterranean club nights often sell out every week.  The Foundry is the place to be to destress from university work and party with your friends, often accompanied by a VK bottle or two.

As an employee at the Foundry, it’s safe to say that I know which side of the bar I would rather be on all night. So, here is a (mostly unbiased) ranking of Foundry’s club nights from a true expert to help you decide which ones you simply must attend.

Soul Jam

To start off with, Soul Jam has to get an honourable mention as it is an extremely popular club night with its funk, soul and disco music. This event tends to attract a different crowd than, let’s say, Roar, as it is more of a chilled-out vibe, especially since it’s on a Thursday night.

Although it isn’t on every week, when it is Soul Jam brings in a big crowd for a mid-week party to get you prepared and excited for the weekend ahead.

This event happens in cities around the country including Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham, however Soul Jam itself claims that Foundry is the “best of the bunch” in regards to students’ unions. So, make a note in your calendars for the 12th December and get ready to dance the night away at the next Soul Jam in Foundry.

The Tuesday Club

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Arguably, one of the downsides to the Sheffield clubbing scene, for some, is its lack of more hardcore rave events. However, The Tuesday Club is the perfect place to fill this void. With electronic music from various underground DJs, its the perfect escape for students to destress from studying.

Also not a weekly event, but always a sell out, which tells you all you need to know really – The Tuesday Club is a popular club night. Unlike other events, like Roar and Grapefruit, the type of music (as you can imagine) is much, much louder. So, when working behind the bar my earplugs came in very handy.

Overall, The Tuesday Club is a popular and energetic event, so if you’re lucky enough to not have a 9am on Wednesday mornings, I would definitely recommend giving The Tuesday Club a go.

Pop Tarts

Another student favourite is Pop Tarts, the perfect weekend party for a variety of music genres but especially old and new pop tunes. As Foundry’s longest running club event, Pop Tarts has taken up students’ Saturday nights for the past thirty years.

Coming in at a close second for me, this event guarantees a night of dancing and singing, along with its themes each week allowing students to get involved and even dressed up. One of the Foundry’s most recent takes was the iconic Brat Tarts, inspired by singer Charli XCX’s iconic album. Brat green is in more people’s wardrobes than you’d imagine.

If I’m going to be completely honest, one of the downsides to Pop Tarts is that the music tends to get a little repetitive each week. So, this sometimes puts people off going every Saturday.

However, even with club nights like Roar or Soul Jam, the playlists used are bound to be quite samey as Pop Tarts knows which songs are hits on the dancefloor. Let’s just hope your favourite song makes the playlist.

Either way, it goes without saying that it’s a must-try during your stint at Sheffield Uni. It’s a weekend, why not?

Grapefruit

As another honourable mention, Grapefruit is loved by many students as it is Foundry’s LGBTQ+ night, hosted on various Friday nights throughout the year. Along with an immaculate playlist, Grapefruit goers create and inclusive and welcoming environment where members of the community feel free to express themselves however they want.

Offbeat

As one of Foundry’s more underrated events, Offbeat is still a much-loved night by the indie kids of Sheffield.

Since starting in 1997, Offbeat is hosted every so often and amasses a good crowd each time. Lots of the artists that can be found on the playlist are pretty underground however there will be some names that are more recognisable including The Cure, Phoebe Bridgers and Joy Division. So, if you want to try something different to the likes of Roar and Pop Tarts, it is definitely worth giving this club night a try.

Roar

Now I don’t think it will come as a surprise that Roar takes the top spot as the best of all Foundry’s club nights (as I’m sure many students would agree with me). Whilst this Wednesday night party is often associated with societies as they seem to dominate the dance floor in their crazy costume themes each week, it is open to anyone to go with flatmates or friends.

With a stage and a DJ, Roar consists of four hours of non-stop partying and even has three different rooms of music to choose from.

However, to give it a fair ranking, I must warn readers about the sweatiness and overcrowding that usually occurs at Roar. So just be prepared for sweaty rugby boys to be trying to chat you and your friends up at the bar.

Another downside to this event is that it is very prone to selling out, especially at the beginning of the academic year, so if you want to go, you have to act fast and buy a ticket. Once that ticket is yours, be prepared for a night of great music and great fun (and bumping into everyone you’ve ever met in Sheffield).

No matter the ranking, you’ll be in Sheffield for at least three years so that is more than enough time to try every club night that Foundry has to offer. Get on your dancing shoes people.