Welcome to London!
Greenwich and Shoreditch, Carnaby Street and Abbey Road, the British Museum and Alexandra Palace — all iconic names that trip off the tongue. Over 30 million people visit London annually to sample the scene, discover new experiences, and enjoy some of the world’s most Instagrammable streets, buildings, parks, and landmarks. But why be a tourist when you could live the London life for real?
Ranked by the 2023 QS ‘Best Cities’ index as the world’s number-one student destination (and earning the only perfect score), London is a top-tier cultural, commercial, and artistic capital. When this city speaks, the whole world listens. It’s one of the youngest, most energetic and diverse places in the world — forever changing, always evolving, and a bona fide metropolis.
There’s something for every taste
London is the UK’s mothership for music fans, foodies, fashionistas, culture vultures, theatregoers, and history-lovers. It’s less a single city, and more a collection of independent regions, each with its own personality and flavour. Take trendy Whitechapel, home to Confetti’s London campus — it’s flanked by the old-school bustle of Brick Lane and Spitalfields Market, the soaring skyscrapers of the City’s financial district, and the world-famous River Thames, winding serenely past the Tower of London. It’s a city that rewards adventurers, with each day bringing the promise of a new gallery, bar, club, café, park or pop-up to discover.
You’ll meet lots of new people
London is defined by its diversity. With a population of over 300,000 students, and with more than 300 languages spoken across the city, you’ll have no problems ‘fitting in’ and making new connections. And what’s more, you’ll broaden your horizons. True creativity demands a breadth of perspectives and influences — living in London, you’ll be constantly exposed to new voices, faces, and insights. It’s the best way of building your creative (and cultural) confidence.
It’s a world-class musical melting pot
This is the city where rock and jazz birthed skiffle; where punk first shook hands with reggae; where psychedelia and rhythm and blues grew side by side; and where hip-hop first landed in the UK. Once, London was the epicentre of the Swinging Sixties — today, it’s ground zero for the UK’s grime scene. In any given year of any given decade, something big has happened here: from the New Romantic ‘Blitz Kids’ of the Eighties, to Kano, Skepta, and Stormzy in 2023.
There are great transport links, in and outside the city
For new arrivals, getting around London is a breeze. The city’s network of underground trains, buses, and bikes will get you wherever you need to be, and quickly.
If you’re an international student looking to experience the best of British life beyond the capital, London is a great base for reaching the rest of the country. With four major airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and London Luton) and a host of train stations (Liverpool St, Paddington, Euston, Victoria, and St Pancras), the UK’s other big destinations are all within easy reach — including Brighton, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Cambridge, Oxford, Nottingham, and Manchester (all within two hours’ travel), Liverpool (140 minutes), Newcastle (three hours), and Edinburgh (four). If you’re feeling extra-adventurous, the Eurostar train could even have you enjoying an espresso and macaron in Paris by lunchtime!
You’ll have incredible networking opportunities
There’s no better place to start your journey in the creative industries than London. This is where the UK’s major publishers, promoters, and labels call home — from indie magnets like Warp and Rough Trade, to multinationals like Island and Sony. What’s more, the city is stuffed with legendary live venues, from the intimate (the 100 Club, the Dublin Castle, the Electric Ballroom, and the Shepherd’s Bush Empire) to the enormous (Wembley, the O2, and the Royal Albert Hall). You’ll be in the heart of the action — and as a key part of your course, we’ll be helping you build relationships with the great and good of London’s arts scene.
