The new night out trend that has people saying ‘we’re in hell’

The new night out has people divided (Picture: Castle Gym) When I think of my prime, I see my years as a University of Nottingham student, arriving two bottles of Echo Falls deep to a night club at 10pm with my best girlfriends. I’d party till 4am, before dragging myself hungover and bleary eyed to my Thursday lecture on The Black Death. But now, Nottingham has a new student night out at £15 a ticket, only this time it’s in a gym. Castle Gym launched its ‘Castle After Dark‘ night out earlier this month on October 13, which saw university students turn up in their gymwear, take pre-workout shots instead of alcohol, and queue at 10pm to get in to do their exercise. The event hit more than two million views on TikTok, but not everyone was onboard with the concept. ‘The world ended in 2020 and we are in hell,’ wrote one. Others claimed the world had ‘gone mad’ while one said: ‘The kids are not alright.’ ‘Could you imagine how good this would be with alcohol and without the exercise,’ another joked. Students were working out in the early hours of the morning instead of clubbing (Picture: Castle Gym) But the event sold out, with 300 students attending, although 500 tried for tickets. It comes as 78% of current university students say they don’t have to get drunk to have a good night out, according to the Mental Health Foundation. In fact, with only 41% of university students drinking alcohol once-a-week or more, a teetotal night out is in high demand. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. For Castle Gym founder Luke Willmott, 36, these Gen Z attitudes inspired the new club night. ‘It went absolutely off the charts,’ he tells Metro. ‘We decided there’s a huge gap in the market, because we believe less and less people want to go out and party traditionally where they’d get wasted and feel terrible the next day.’ Reactions online have only confirmed there’s a market for it. ‘Finally, a nightclub where the only hangover is sore muscles the next morning,’ wrote one on TikTok. ‘Fire concept,’ added another. ‘They’re out being positive instead of potentially being up to no good. I think this is sick.’ And, Luke says by popular demand there will be non-student nights, too, although both will be priced the same. What happens at this gym night out? While gyms like Gymbox already offer live DJ sets in the evenings for you to listen to while you train, Castle After Dark is seemingly the first ticketed fitness night out. Expect blue neon lighting, space to pump some iron and get whatever refreshments you need (non-alcoholic, of course). ‘You can come and just do your own workout, or you can meet new people and socialise, you don’t have to workout,’ Luke explains. ‘We had student ambassadors running challenges all night like squat or bench press challenges, or seeing who could push the sled the furthest, with the winners getting prizes – the interaction was amazing.’ Luke adds: ‘We had our live DJ at the front of the gym, where people can have a dance and a social gathering once they’ve had their fill with their weights and workout, to keep the vibes going.’ It was dubbed a ‘cool concept’ and ‘lit’ by those who attended the opening night, and there are plans for it to be a regular fixture at Castle Gym. A man bench pressing in the gym while on this night out (Picture: Castle Gym) More like this... The nightclub doesn’t need to die Gym owner Luke doesn’t believe this night out should replace a traditional nightclub, but says it just offers people an alternative. ‘Nightclubs don’t need to go,’ he says. ‘It’s just everything in moderation and giving people another option is what we’re trying to provide.’ And he believes a workout and socialising is the perfect combination. ‘The feeling you get from doing a workout is incredible because of those endorphins and then when you’re in a night out environment where you’re socialising and enjoying yourself, you feel it twofold,’ Luke explains. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Arrow MORE: The ‘glorious’ drink bartenders desperately wish you’d stop ordering Arrow MORE: A new £17.50 sauna and cold plunge is set to open in a south west London park Arrow MORE: The Greggs where you can order a beer with your sausage roll