The Cambridge Union

The Cambridge Union Defending free debate since 1815: www.cus.org

For membership enquiries: [email protected] But there's more. Open most days until after midnight.

Debates
Hosting world famous weekly debates, we have debating some of the most pressing issues of our long history, discussed by some of the most influential people in the world, and some of the best student speakers in the world, alike. Speakers
In the past few years alone Union members have met Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, the legendary actors Sir Ian McKellen and Bill Nighy, comedians Dara O'Briain and Russell Brand, and the controversial scientist and author Professor Richard Dawkins. Charitable Work
Not only does the Union provide a service to students in Cambridge, it also has multiple programmes for disadvantaged children across the UK. Through teaching public speaking and debate, the Union’s charitable aim is to promote opportunity through education - and we have ambitious plans to expand our charitable work in the future. Social Entertainment
Throughout the year we run some of the best social events in Cambridge. Our Valentines Ball is hugely popular, and we kick off May Week with the most extravagant Garden Party around. With pilates to pub quizzes, Comedy Smokers to Casino & Cocktails nights, we have something for everyone. There's something on almost every night of the week - Union membership ensures you a packed social calendar. The Orator Bar and Restaurant
Our bar is the only one to cater to the whole university, making it the perfect place to chill with friends, particularly from other colleges. Complete with plasma screens and comfy sofas, plus nightly entertainment and drinks deals. Our café is the perfect place to work or play, offering cheap, fairtrade coffee and food throughout the day in a newly-refurbished, friendly and comfortable setting. Library
Our beautiful and historic library is a great place to study and read away from college, with free Wi-Fi, newspapers, and the largest selection of borrowable fiction books outside of the University Library. Competitive Debating
Our competitive debating teams regularly compete on an international level, and in the past two years have won more competitions than any other university in Britain or Ireland. We run workshops for those interested in improving their skills, as well as for complete beginners, giving our members the chance to learn from highly experienced debaters and compete in national competitions themselves.

26/09/2026

Michaelmas 2026 at the Cambridge Union is less than 9 days away.
Discounted LIFETIME memberships close soon!

25/09/2026

Robert Downey Junior discusses the importance of recognizing privilege and giving grace to others at a Union speaker event.

Watch the complete interview on our YouTube channel , and purchase a membership today to attend events like this (and more) yourself!

24/09/2026

Cambridge student Navya Tyagali argues that the decriminalization of s*x work prevents bureaucracies from enforcing necessary protections for s*x workers during our debate under the motion “This House Would Decriminalize S*x Work” last October.

Watch the complete debate on our YouTube channel , and purchase a membership today to attend events like this (and more) yourself! *xworkersrights

23/09/2026

Jensen Huang—NVIDIA CEO and our 2025 Hawking Fellow—discusses the intersection between drug design and computer programming at our speaker event last November.

Watch the complete interview on our YouTube channel , and purchase a membership today to attend events like this (and more) yourself!

22/09/2026

Charlie Kirk debates a Cambridge Student on the responsibility to adhere to Christian Scripture when acting in violation of the Bible at our speaker event last May.

Watch the complete debate on our YouTube channel , and purchase a membership today to attend events like this (and more) yourself!

20/09/2026

A message from Sir Stephen Fry, member of the Cambridge Union.

Discounted membership available for a limited time only!

Full Committee applications close TONIGHT at 11.59pm. Link in bio!
19/09/2026

Full Committee applications close TONIGHT at 11.59pm. Link in bio!

We are pleased to announce our Fresher’s Discount!Until the 16th October, purchase LIFETIME membership for the Cambridge...
18/09/2026

We are pleased to announce our Fresher’s Discount!
Until the 16th October, purchase LIFETIME membership for the Cambridge Union for £40 off. Alongside the membership, you will also receive a code to redeem a free ticket to the 2026 Union Ball, there are only 50 free tickets so don’t miss out!
Remember to purchase membership so that you can join full committee before applications close on 20th September.
Link in story, bio or website to join.

Want to get more involved with the Union? Want to join a sociable and exciting workplace environment? Interested in gain...
14/09/2026

Want to get more involved with the Union? 
Want to join a sociable and exciting workplace environment? 
Interested in gaining hands-on work experience at a national institution? 
Then MICHAELMAS 2026 FULL COMMITTEE is for you!

Applications are now OPEN for our Michaelmas 2026 Full Committee at the Union. Full Committee is the perfect way to see behind-the-scenes at the Union and make a measurable impact on the work that we do. We have a huge variety of Departments and student positions available, all of which come with high flexibility and varying levels of time commitment.

NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. FRESHERS WELCOME. 

🚨Applications close on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2026🚨LINK IN BIO! 

We can’t wait to see you all soon!

The next two speakers for our 211th Anniversary Alumni Debate are... Melanie McDonagh and Charlotte Ivers!Melanie McDona...
08/09/2026

The next two speakers for our 211th Anniversary Alumni Debate are... Melanie McDonagh and Charlotte Ivers!

Melanie McDonagh is an Irish journalist working in London, writing for papers including The Spectator and The Telegraph. She works for The Evening Standard where she is books editor, columnist and art critic. Her book on Converts was published last year by Yale University Press. She is a former president of the Cambridge Union and read history at New Hall; her PhD at Cambridge is on medieval history.

Charlotte I. is The Times and Sunday Times TV critic. She also writes about everything from politics to sport to fashion, and has interviewed Kemi Badenoch, Idris Elba and Pamela Anderson, among others. Previously, she was restaurant critic for The Sunday Times magazine, and even more previously she was a radio reporter and producer.

Dinner tickets for our 211th Anniversary event are SOLD OUT. However, members can still make a reservation to attend the debate free of change using the link below. Please note that the dress code to attend this event is formal, and we’re only asking members to reserve their seat as this is a particularly busy occasion. We look forward to seeing you there!

Link here: https://lnkd.in/esmGk5rs

Address

9A Bridge Street
Cambridge
CB21UB

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 11pm
Wednesday 9am - 11pm
Thursday 9am - 11pm
Friday 9am - 1am

Telephone

+441223417144

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