Eastbourne has been named one of the UK's top 20 destinations for a night out, beating major cities including Manchester and Newcastle in a new national nightlife ranking.
The East Sussex seaside town secured 20th place in the study, achieving an overall nightlife score of 75.9 out of 100.
The research, commissioned by London-based gentlemen's club 23 Paul Street, examined destinations across Britain, comparing factors including the number of pubs and bars, late-night food options, hygiene ratings, taxi availability and 24-hour alcohol licences.
Eastbourne performed particularly well when it came to hygiene standards, with its pubs, bars and nightclubs achieving an average rating of 4.92 out of five.
The study identified 323 on-trade alcohol licences across the borough, alongside 241 late-night refreshment premises licences, highlighting the town's range of evening entertainment and food options.
Researchers also found Eastbourne had 7.1 on-trade alcohol licences and 5.3 late-night refreshment licences per square kilometre.
The town recorded 4.1 licensed taxis and private hire vehicles per 1,000 residents, while the number of 24-hour alcohol licences stood at 1.3 per square kilometre.
The findings place Eastbourne ahead of some of Britain's best-known nightlife destinations.
Manchester, famous for its music venues and nightclubs, finished 25th nationally with a score of 72.6, while Newcastle upon Tyne ranked 24th with 72.8.
Brighton and Hove performed even better, finishing joint eighth nationally with 79.6 points.
However, Eastbourne's average hygiene rating for pubs, bars and nightclubs was higher than Brighton's reported average of 4.82.
The results suggest smaller seaside towns can compete with major cities when nightlife is assessed on more than simply the number of bars and clubs.
Elsewhere in the rankings, Oxford finished fourth with 81.6 points, followed by Nottingham in fifth place with 81.3.
Cheltenham was another surprise performer, taking seventh place with 79.8 points, narrowly ahead of Brighton.
Stevenage finished joint eighth, while Ipswich completed the national top ten with a score of 79.1.
Exeter also made the top 20, finishing 17th with 76.6 points.
The research looked beyond traditional measures of nightlife popularity, placing considerable emphasis on hygiene standards, transport provision and the availability of late-night services.
For Eastbourne, the findings provide a positive result for the town's evening economy, with its restaurants, pubs, bars and late-night venues helping it compete against much larger destinations.
However, the rankings reflect the researcher's chosen criteria rather than customer satisfaction, visitor numbers or an independent assessment of the overall nightlife experience.
The study places Eastbourne firmly among Britain's top 20 nightlife destinations for 2026, providing another talking point for the town's hospitality and tourism sector.
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