Cathays doesn’t do quiet evenings. It does not really do subtlety either. What it does reliably, loudly and with a pint in hand, is the pub quiz. Between the competition and chaos, they have become a staple of student life, an excuse to gather, shout answers with misplaced confidence and, occasionally, win something worth shouting about.
On a Tuesday night, The Flora offers a more balanced entry into the scene. At £2 a head and an 8pm start, it strikes an accessible but still competitive middle ground. The format is clean, two rounds that are but deceptively varied. The first moves briskly through on-screen trivia, a nostalgic ‘back to school’ section, music, and a picture round (which had us identifying a Lost Mary flavour, a task far more divisive than expected). The second round opens you up to food, sport, ‘around the world’ and a rotating ‘people’s choice’ topic, which revealed to me, perhaps surprisingly, that Lucky Saint leads the UK’s 0% market! Then comes the wildcard; a mystery challenge that might see you performing a TikTok trend in front of the host for up to three points. There is also a bonus riddle, because no quiz here is complete without one final moment of collective confusion. It is playful, well-paced, and, crucially, feels winnable.
Inside the Students’ Union, the Taf hosts a quiz of organised chaos. Every Thursday at 8pm (£5 per team), it is louder, bigger, and packed to the edges, arrive late and you’ll be standing. Six rounds of ten questions cover everything from music (ours being nightcore covers) to picture rounds, with the occasional absurdity thrown in, like ‘Who said it: Gandhi, Liz Truss or Darth Vader?’ (a hint, it was probably Liz Truss!) A bonus round might involve constructing a balloon hat (structural integrity not guaranteed, ours resulted in a smashed glass). The prize is more about spectacle, and the free drinks! A minute behind the bar the following week, pouring as many drinks as possible. At the centre of it is host Lucy Gibbins, whose approach explains much of the quiz’s appeal. Having started hosting at 18 after a background in entertainment, she treats the role as she is orchestrating the entire spectacle. “I love the sense of community”, she explains, noting how teams from across courses and societies mix in a way that rarely happens elsewhere. That accessibility is key, “you don’t need to know everything about everything to have a chance at winning”, and it shows in the breadth of rounds and the willingness to embrace silliness. Tie-breaks, she admits, are where things peak, recalling “the great British moo off” with some pride.
Elsewhere in Cathays, the formats shift but the appeal remains consistent. The Crwys leans into speed and interaction, its Monday night quiz running through phones with themed rounds, it has me focusing on World War II, pitched with just enough difficulty to keep things interesting. it trades the noise of larger venues for a closer, more conversational format. Cathays Beer House leans into something far more intimate. For £2 at 7pm on a Monday, it trades the noise of larger venues for a closer, more conversational format. The opening round is a connect round alternating weekly between music, picture or themed links, what began as a string of seemingly unrelated names gradually revealed its logic, whether that be radio breakfast hosts or literary characters. Whilst teams puzzle that out, the host Martin moves between tables, asking questions individually, which adds a layer of pressure but also keeps everyone engaged rather than hiding behind the strongest teammate. It is challenging but fair, jumping from Grease quotes to colours of the Bolivian flag, with prizes ranging from drinks to a “mystery box”.
Sundays round things off with the Woodville running a fast-paced, app-based quiz where speed matters as much as accuracy, meanwhile The Foundry ups the stakes with a £100 prize and five structured rounds, including themed picks from the previous week’s losers and a chance to take part in their signature ‘Hot Ones’ style challenge for extra points during the break.
What ties all of this together is the atmosphere. Pub quizzes are about participation, rewarding just enough knowledge to keep you invested and just enough chaos to keep you entertained.