Leisure time at Surrey

Enjoy your time here by taking advantage of our superb range of social activities and sporting opportunities

Students at Surrey may work hard, but they also play hard. The University community enjoys a strong sense of togetherness with students from every background taking part in a wide range of leisure and recreational activities.

Students' Union

The international representative of the Students' Union plays a major role in assisting the 20 societies for international students at Surrey, and in organising the International Week held each year.

The new activities centre in the Students' Union includes computing facilities, small group working areas and improved access to Union media and student officers. Together with a top-class Representation and Welfare Unit for students, it is the focus for a whole range of student activities.

The Students’ Union building houses five bars and three food outlets catering for all tastes. Rubix, the Students' Union’s 1600-capacity nightclub, has the best sound and light facility of any Union club in the country. Every night offers something different, including very popular clubbing events, comedy acts, pub quizzes and live music.

Student societies

Over 60 active societies play a large part in the social and cultural life of the University. Whether they are subject-related societies or those allowing you to take up new interests or continue with current hobbies, you will find lots of opportunities to keep yourself busy. The Students’ Union is always keen to help students to set up and run new societies. There is also a wide range of volunteering opportunities.

Award-winning student media, Barefacts (the student newspaper), GU2 (student radio) and the Students' Union website will keep you up to date with all the facts, events, gossip and photos from campus.

Culture and performance

A full programme of musical recitals and concerts, dance and theatre performances, exhibitions and literary talks are held on and around campus, allowing you to experience arts and cultural events. We offer weekly lunchtime concerts and a wide variety of student concerts featuring everything from rock and pop to classical.

The Lewis Elton Gallery on campus presents a series of visual art exhibitions throughout the year which feature the work of internationally and nationally known artists, sculptors, photographers and holographers.

Artists in Residence, the Gemini Ensemble and the Medici Quartet, and visiting professor, the distinguished Russian pianist, Nikolai Demidenko, give regular performances and workshops