5 Things to Do in Nottingham This Weekend

This week is Homelessness Awareness Week here in Nottingham, and these guys are making sure it goes out with a bang. The Old Codgers are headlining this night of music and poetry dahn at Antenna, a night in aid of helping the vulnerable. As well as the Codgers’ eighties and nineties tunes, there’s gonna be live poetry performances by Andrew Graves, Jim Hall and our very own Bridie Squires. All proceeds from the event will be split between The Friary and Emmanuel House, charities which work tirelessly to end homelessness in our city and help the vulnerable rebuild their lives. It’s only fifteen bob a ticket, and rumour has it you’ll bag yersen a free drink in that price, so what yer waiting for? Do a good deed and book tickets now.
Friday 13 October, 7pm, £15, Antenna Media Centre, event link

It’s not every day that yer see a 3m high elephant roaming rahnd Old Market Square. But don’t worry, folks, no need to run for the hills. The mechanical creature is around to kick off the Hindu festival of lights. This year’s celebrations begin in town on Friday, where the nelly will be parading around the area with dancers and dhol players in tow. Spend some time marvelling at the beautiful installations or get yersen a personalised poem written by a local poet in a tuk tuk, before munching down on some treats from the curry and craft market.  On Saturday, head along to a rangoli tile workshop, where you can learn to make your own, or listen to the sweet sounds of local poetry and musicians. Diwali signifies the victory of light over darkness and good over evil, so come along and help celebrate all things good.
Friday 13 October - Saturday 14 October, free, Old Market Square, event link

We love a good charity music festival here in Notts. Oxjam is back, and ready to take over Beeston for another day of good vibes and fundraising. This is the fest’s seventh year in a row, and it ain’t showing any signs of stopping, as last year you lot managed to raise over £14,000 for good owd Oxfam. Here’s how the day works; over fifteen venues across the town, including cafes and bars, have got more than twelve hours of live music goodness for you lot to enjoy. There’ll be an eclectic mix of genres, so there’s bound to be summat for the whole family to enjoy. All venues are free before 6pm, and wristbands are available to purchase for the evening's entertainment for just £10. And remember, this is all in aid of fighting poverty and improving the lives of the world's poorest people. Sling ‘em a few pennies if yer can.
Saturday 14 October, £5-£10, Beeston, event link

Poet, musician, performer and all-round funnyman John Hegley is coming to Notts to tell us all about the things close to his heart. In his own, hilarious way of course. This London-born lad has written many a collection of amusing and mischievous poems, and now’s your chance to watch him take to the stage and perform them himself. With verses spoken and sung, his funny, moving and thought provoking poems will get yer thinking about potatoes in a very different way. Expect to hear rhymes about soot, beliefs, osmosis and… daleks.  Dead whimsical and a dead good way to spend a dreary Saturday evening.
Saturday 14 October, 7.30pm, £11-£13, Nottingham Arts Theatre, event link

This one’s a corker for those of you with a taste for classical music. The Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra are kicking off their musical season with a right Sunday afternoon delight. Conducted by Mark Heron, the orchestra features two finalists from the BBC’s 2016 Young Musician of the Year awards, Ben Goldscheider and Callum Smart, who’ll both be knocking out some cracking solos. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 2 and Nielson’s Symphony No.5 are all on the playlist, and our Callum will be playing the Korngold Violin Concerto, for your listening pleasure. It’s a lovely excuse to get dressed up all fancy, sip on a glass of wine, and do summat differently with your Sunday. Make a day of it and pop for a Sunday dinner afterwards; nowt better than a yorkshire pud after an afternoon of finery, innit?
Sunday 15 October, 3pm, £5-£15, Albert Hall, event link