Freshers' Fortnight

The official freshers lineup for Derby

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MistaJam and BASSHUNTER headlining!

This year’s Freshers’ Finalé on October 4th will be one of our biggest ever, as we host MistaJam and BASSHUNTER in the Academy to round off what will be an unforgettable fortnight for our new and returning students!

Hot off the stage at Creamfields, MistaJam will be performing an amazing DJ set and BASSHUNTER will be performing his classic hits live, such as Now You’re Gone and All I Ever Wanted, as well as new music all as a part of our Freshers’ Fortnight wristband offer.

Derby Events

Freshers Moving in Day: 21st September 8am - 5pm; Kedleston Road Atrium; Grab your keys, meet some friendly faces, unpack your stuff - and get yourself a #derbyfresh wristband if you haven’t already!

Freshers Welcome Fest at Markeaton Street: 21st September 2pm - 7pm; Markeaton Street; Move in day can break a sweat in even the most precise packers, so once you’re all settled in head down to Markeaton Street for some good grub and a chance to chill before our Wild Welcome Party!

Freshers Wild Welcome Party: 21st September 9:30pm - 2am; Academy Bar, Kedleston Road; Have you got the moves like jaguar? Channel your wild side as you let loose in the Academy at our roaring welcome party. Come for drinks at the watering hole with good vibes that will have you believing you’ve mastered the bare necessities of life.

Freshers Freshers Foam Party at Walkabout: 22nd September 9pm - 3am; Walkabout Derby; Forget having a night off with a bubble bath and your trusty rubber duck, the Mukky Duck team have foam for days - no FOMO here!

Freshers Union Pop-up: 23rd September 11am - 1pm; Markeaton Street; Come and talk to us about how to be part of the Union; sports, societies, student-led services, Advice, Part Time Officers and Programme Reps, we've got you covered with every inch of info!

Freshers Night at the Museum: 23rd September 6pm - 11pm; Derby Museum and Art Gallery, The Strand, Derby, DE11BS; Beat your top score under the pinball glow as you travel back to a world of retro gaming with all your favourite arcade classics!; Buy Tickets

Freshers OFGS Union Fair: 24th September 11am - 2pm; One Friar Gate Square; Goodies, giveaways, and lots of information about how to make the most of your time at university. Come and meet us and find out what your Union can do for you!

Freshers Pint with the President: 24th September noon - 2pm; Academy Bar, Kedleston Road; Meet the President (and the Vice-Presidents) for a pint and a chat about all things Union!

Freshers Comedy Night: 24th September 8pm - 11pm; Academy Bar, Kedleston Road; A night of contagious laughter and entertainment with hilarious headliners! Don’t forget to redeem your limited time drinks vouchers in your Freshers vouchers book!

Freshers Cheese and Wine Welcome: 25th September 5pm - 7pm; Britannia Mill; A welcome talk for mature, commuter and parent students. With cheese and wine!

Freshers Freshers Glitter Party at Walkabout: 25th September 9pm - 3am; Walkabout Derby; Would it be a Freshers party without a bit of glitter? Derby's biggest student night brings you more sparkle than ever before!

Freshers Imperium Coaching Q&A: 26th September 11am - 1pm; Kedleston Road; Feeling anxious about first weeks of university? Come for an open Q&A panel discussion with Kyle Watson, a graduate coach and founder of Imperium Coaching. Take control of your actions, build your confidence and enjoy university to the fullest!

Freshers Union Advice Tea Party: 26th September 4pm - 6pm; Blends Coffee Shop, Kedleston Road; Do you need help with settling into student life in Derby? We know this can be solved over a good cuppa. Come and enjoy some positivi-tea while you chat to our advisors about your student concerns.

Freshers Outdoor Cinema: 26th September 7pm - 11pm; The Academy Bar, The Union of Students, Kedleston Road; Get your popcorn (or holey grail doughnuts) and blankets at the ready for our outdoor screening of a popular blockbuster! Quiet at the back!

Freshers Quiz at OFGS: 26th September 7:30pm - 9pm; One Friar Gate Square; It's time to question the laws of quizics, so find that mate who has more general knowledge than sense for our first quiz of the year!

Freshers Derby Festé: 27th September midnight - 28th September midnight; Derby Cathedral; The arts festival returns with packed programme of spectacular family entertainment featuring the breathtaking Museum of the Moon at Derby Cathedral!

Freshers Union Pop-up: 27th September 11am - 1pm; Britannia Mill; Come and talk to us about how to be part of the Union; sports, societies, student-led services, Advice, Part Time Officers and Programme Reps, we've got you covered with every inch of info!

Freshers Comedy Bingo: 27th September 8pm - 11pm; Academy Bar, Kedleston Road; Comedy, music, and mayhem; come and see why quiet dabbing is a thing of the past. Win big and expect an evening of non-stop laughter!

Freshers UV Rave: 28th September 10pm - 2am; Academy Bar, Kedleston Road; Paint your face and grab those glow sticks for an unmissable night at the Academy!

Freshers Freshers Fair: 30th September 9am - 5pm; Kedleston Road Atrium; One of the biggest events during your first few weeks in Derby and your first chance to see the Union in all its colours.

Freshers Programme Rep Info Event: 30th September 5pm - 7pm; One Friar Gate Square; Learn about your Union’s Programme Representatives scheme, how they represent your academic interests, and how you can go about becoming one to support your coursemates and improve your programme.

Freshers Freshers Fair: 1st October 9am - 5pm; Kedleston Road Atrium; One of the biggest events during your first few weeks in Derby and your first chance to see the Union in all its colours.

Freshers Sports and Societies Shindig: 1st October 5pm - 7pm; Blends, OFGS; Haven’t been tempted by one of our existing sports clubs or societies? Form your own!

Freshers intu Student Shopping Night: 1st October 7pm - 10pm; intu Derby; Who can resist a too good to be true deal? intu’s student lock in is the perfect opportunity to get all the bits you need to settle in to student life in Derby!

Freshers Harry Potter Party at Walkabout: 2nd October 9pm - 3am; Walkabout, 11 Market Square, Derby DE1 3QE; Are you a Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw or a Gryffindor? Join the Mukky Duck Crew on the most magical night of the week!

Freshers Oktoberfest: 3rd October 7:30pm - 11pm; Academy Bar, Kedleston Road; Who says you need to be in Munich to drink a stein? Come to the Union’s very own festival for a night of high spirits with live music from a Bavarian band!

Freshers Quiz at OFGS: 3rd October 7:30pm - 9pm; One Friar Gate Square; Let’s get quizzical; it's time to get your thinking hats on ready for our second quiz of the year!

Freshers All Day Blowout: 4th October 11am - 5pm; Academy Bar, Kedleston Road; Missing your home comforts and your parents’ good grub? The Academy is open all day for you to relish 25% off the entire menu!

Freshers Freshers Finale: 4th October 10pm - 2am; Academy Bar, Kedleston Road; Round off the Freshers Fortnight with the biggest night of all. Grab your new mates and celebrate in style! Basshunter and MistaJam will be preforming live! This is the night you will not want to miss!; Buy Tickets

Freshers Freshers Fair Markeaton Street: 8th October 10am - 2pm; Markeaton Street; A chance to see the Union in all it’s colours – the perfect opportunity to get involved in our clubs and societies, grab a load of info, and learn more about what’s on offer in the local area. Brands, freebies, and pizza – lots of free pizza!

Buxton Events

Buxton Freshers Welcome Fest at Buxton: 22nd September 2pm - 7pm; Halls of Residence, Buxton; Move in day can break a sweat in even the most precise packers, so once you’re all settled in, head down to Halls for some good grub and a chance to chill.

Buxton Freshers Back to School Party: 23rd September 9pm - 1am; AMP, Buxton; Bringing you back to school with a mix of decades music!

Buxton Freshers Union Pop-up: 24th September 12:30pm - 2pm; The Dome, Buxton; Come and talk to us about how to be part of the Union; sports, societies, student-led services, Advice, Part Time Officers and Programme Reps, we can give you the low-down on it all!

Buxton Freshers 90s Night: 25th September 10am - 26th September 1am; The Queen's Head, Buxton; Join us for the best classic chart, dance and club anthems from the 1990s. From Snap! to Faithless, from Dee-lite to Vanilla Ice.

Buxton Freshers Treasure Trail: 25th September 7pm - 25th September 9:30pm; Buxton Town Centre; Discover Buxton, collect clues and learn all about the town. Meet new people, see new places and be in with the chance of winning an awesome prize!

Buxton Freshers Traffic Light Party: 27th September 10am - 28th September 10am; AMP, Buxton; The perfect social atmosphere to meet and mingle! Wear Green - single and ready to mingle Wear Yellow - it’s complicated Wear Red - you’re taken

Buxton Freshers 80s Neon Night: 30th September 9am - 1st October 1am; Coco, Buxton; Come kitted put in your neon beads and RaRa skirts and leg warmers and dance the night away to classic 80s tunes with Netball Club!

Buxton Freshers Union Pop-up: 1st October 12:30pm - 2pm; The Dome, Buxton; Come and talk to us about how to be part of the Union; sports, societies, student-led services, Advice, Part Time Officers and Programme Reps, we can give you the low-down on it all!

Buxton Freshers Freshers Fair: 3rd October 10am - 3pm; The Dome, Buxton; One of the biggest events during your first few weeks in Derby and your first chance to see the Union in all its colours!

Buxton Freshers Beach Party: 3rd October 9pm - 1am; AMP, Buxton; Don those garish shorts, or that underused bikini and join the Outdoor club for a night of sun, sand, and sambucas. Suncream optional, it is October after all.

Buxton Freshers Fairy Tale Night: 4th October 9pm - 1am; AMP, Buxton; Avoid those juicy apples and leave the glass footwear at home. It’s time to celebrate the tales of witches, fairies, and confectionary houses with the Buxton Canoe and Kayak club at AMP.

Buxton Freshers Heroes vs Villains: 8th October 9pm - 1am; AMP, Buxton; It’s Heroes vs Villains - break out your favourite cape and round up your squad for an adventure filled evening!

Buxton Freshers Welcome Back Party: 9th October 7pm - midnight; The Dome, Buxton; Buxton’s annual student welcome back party to celebrate the start of the new academic year!

Buxton Freshers World Mental Health Day: 10th October noon - 2pm; The Dome, Buxton; It’s good to talk; we’re offering advice, guidance and information on all aspects of mental health.

Buxton Freshers Global Café Smoothie: 10th October 5pm - 7pm; The Dome, Buxton; Freshly-blended smoothies, snacks, chatting, daft games, plus, “If only someone had told me!” – current students confide the top ten things they wish they’d known when they were freshers about being in Buxton.

Buxton Freshers Festival Event: 11th October 9pm - 1am; AMP, Buxton; Experience all the fun of a festival without the pesky rain, mud, and lack of adequate toilet facilities. Join the Events society at AMP and dance ‘til the sun goes down knowing you can retire to a comfy bed with a solid roof overhead.