We have seen a shift towards the digital world in most areas of our lives. Shopping for necessities and luxuries often takes place online instead of in brick-and-mortar shops. We can consult with our GPs, attend interviews, work, communicate with friends and family and get work out instructions online. Leisure activities are some of the most prominent in the digital world with video games, audiobooks, podcasts, music, movies and TV shows all being enjoyed online.

Online leisure trends can still be tied to local entertainment scenes. Cambridge’s entertainment scene, like everything else in the city, is centred around and fuelled by the university students that make the city their temporary home. The community that is built around the university and its students has a strong impact on online leisure trends. Once a trend is established locally, social media can help it spread much further.

Keep reading to learn about how Cambridge’s entertainment scene is shaping online leisure trends in the region and beyond.

Gambling

Playing at casinos or enjoying casino games at a fundraiser or other private event has always been a popular form of recreation. The MIT Blackjack Ring, made famous by the film 21 (2008), changed how many people perceived casino gambling. It wasn’t just for the suave James Bond types or for the poker bros, it could be for the mathematicians and sociologists as well.

Cambridge has many small gambling shops. The nearest large casinos are in Luton and London. What Cambridge does very well is casino hire services. There are several businesses that specialise in providing casino services. Diamond Fun, for example, has provided casino services for events at King’s College and Clare College.

Playing at online casinos has rapidly overtaken visiting land-based casinos in terms of popularity. When visiting a casino website, it is immediately clear how much variety there is. Most of the leading online casinos offer more than 1,000 slots and dozens or more table games, as well as bingo, Slingo and more. This is a range of games that most land-based casinos in the UK cannot compete with.

Music

Live music is one of the most important features of the entertainment scene in Cambridge. Attending live music events can be a transformative experience, whether it’s a chamber concert in a cathedral or a noise show in a basement venue. Cambridge has a great range of music venues and is close enough to London that music fans could attend something every night of the week if they wanted to.

Some of the popular live music events in Cambridge include the Corn Exchange, CamJam, Cambridge Junction and the Tram Depot. There are also several pubs that frequently host live music events, including both professional and open mics, such as Hank’s Cambridge, The Portland Arms and The Six Six Bar.

Music trends are increasingly influenced by social media. When people who attend live music events in destinations like Cambridge share pictures, videos or posts about their experience, it inspires others to listen to the music. Apps like Spotify have made it easier than ever to listen to new music and to find new artists.

Film

We hear a lot of talk about the death of the cinema as more people opt to watch movies at home. Thankfully, there has always been a core group of individuals who love the experience of visiting the movie theatre and experiencing films in a more immersive environment. In the last few years, there have been some positive signs that movie going is becoming more popular again.

University students have always been an important part of the filmgoing community. Cambridge has a healthy film scene. There are four cinemas in the city, including the Enchanted, Picture House, Vue and The Light. There is a lot of overlap in what is shown, but generally Enchanted and Picture House show independent films, international films and art cinema while Vue and The Light show the blockbusters and other major films.

Word of mouth hasn’t lost any of its power in the social media age. People still make decisions about what they want to watch by talking about movies with their friends and family. The only change is that now social media influencers, podcasters and film critics are easily available too. The movies that people choose to stream online are generally influenced by the movies that people are watching in cinemas. This is why we often see movies launched on multiple platforms at the same time.

Please gamble responsibly.