Switch vs Voodoo, Jesters vs Sobar

In life, certain questions will always plague our minds and keep us awake at night. What is the meaning of life? Why does Disaronno and coke taste like Dr Pepper? […]


In life, certain questions will always plague our minds and keep us awake at night. What is the meaning of life? Why does Disaronno and coke taste like Dr Pepper? Why has Jeremy Clarkson still got a job at the BBC?

One of the big questions among Soton students is: what is our most popular night out? With a few big contenders, I decided to take it to the people with one of the biggest battles the University has ever seen. I asked 200 people the big questions: Switch or Voodoo and Jesters or Sobar?

First up, Voodoo vs Switch. Old vs new, tradition vs innovation, two rooms vs one. Voodoo as a night reportedly no longer exists, and Switch has made a strong stride into the scene, but it’s time to ask the question- will the now deceased Voodoo always leave a hole, or has that hole been filled by the new and shiny Switch?

It was a landslide.

With a massive 124 votes to 76, the people have decided that Switch was the place for them. Everyone talking about Voodoo did have a very nostalgic and positive tone, but followed by pro-Switch comments such as:

Switch is the club Southampton deserves.”

Both were talked about positively by most. The music, prices and location were all praised, but in the win has gone to Switch. Both competitors should be proud though, as one student put it:

We should just be glad that we have a history of pretty good nightclubs to be honest.”

Next up, Jesters vs Sobar. The two Portswood clubs share more similarities than people would like to believe. Both are notorious for cheap alcohol and a lively crowd, both are relatively small, and offer a wide range of different nights, such as the garden parties at Sobar or the Cider festival at Jesters. But there can only be one winner.

So without further ado, with a mere two points between them, the victory goes to…

Jesters.

With 99 votes for Sobar and 101 for Jesters, the cult hero of a nightclub known as the Palace of Dreams has taken it at the last hurdle. It might be worth noting that this was neck and neck right up to the end, and actually caused small arguments among friends with one girl exclaiming too her friend:

You don’t know what a good night out even is!”

There we have it, Switch and Jesters are the two champions. Anyone who wants to stand outside for four hours getting people to answer questions is more than welcome to do a more intricate survey, but I feel like that settles it. Thanks to all those who took part!

Do these results come as a surprise? Which clubs do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!