Examining the difference between nightlife in Spain and the UK
There are many culture shocks one expects to experience moving to another country; as a Spanish student, one of the many differences I encountered when coming to the UK was its drinking culture, and the way parties and alcohol consumption are perceived.
To begin with, where people drink differs across the countries, which subsequently changes the very essence of the experience. This becomes evident when considering pubs are not prevalent in Spain, despite the fact that pub culture is slowly becoming more and more popular outside of the UK. Instead, Spain’s principal drinking spaces are clubs.
What causes this difference? Age plays a role in the way pub culture is perceived. The younger people are, the more energy they have to release on the dance floor on a weekend night, which is something that only a club can give you. Nevertheless, with time, people slowly start shifting their preferred locations to a calmer space where you can unhurriedly talk to your friends and play board games with a drink in hand, which is definitely not the go-to activity in a club.
Contrary to popular belief, most of my Spanish friends really enjoy pub culture, and wish they were more popular in Spain. While this does not apply to everyone, and many others stand by the belief that clubs are a better ‘going out’ option, the relaxed and easy-going ambience of pubs has stolen the hearts of many European countries where they were not as popular.
One of the things many people appreciate about going to the pub or even a club in the UK is that nights out end a lot earlier than they do in Spain; you can get home at three in the morning at the latest and still be able to wake up at 10am the following day. Most parties in Spain, in contrast, end at four or five at the earliest, although the most common thing to do is to go have churros with your friends for breakfast when the party actually ends at around seven in the morning.
While many claim a good party does not end until the following morning, others are not extremely fond of the fact that, if you go to bed when the rest of the world is waking up, you might not be the most productive the following day. Even pre-games start much later in Spain. You do not want to go to someone’s flat before 10pm because they will most likely be having dinner at that time. It is natural that, just as meal times differ, so do party times. What’s more, you do not want to be starting a party or a pre-game when the sun is still out. As a result, the question of timing can be confusing for a Spanish person, who is used to normally starting parties at 11pm, to suddenly be told that they have to be there at eight.
Another important difference is drinking outdoors. Weather plays an important part in this. While the unpredictable British climate prevent these kinds of gatherings, Spanish weather allows people to drink in the street and outdoors all year long. In fact, there are some important dates in the year where big ‘botellones’ (street drinking gatherings) take place. These include Carnival, Halloween, Christmas Eve (Nochebuena), New Year’s Eve, Epiphany, and many more. For some, street drinking is even more than just a one-day celebration, but a substitute for a pre-game which normally is held in someone’s flat. If an indoor space is not available to do a pre-game, then an outdoor space will do. It does not even matter how cold winter gets, because it rarely gets to the point of not being able to stand in the street.
Drinking culture is very different across Europe, and although the art of going out is mastered by most, there are certainly certain customs to be aware of before partying abroad.
Illustration by Sally Mulvihill for The Student