There are few locales near Old Market Square quite like the Malt Cross. As a nearly perfectly preserved Victorian music hall, the building toes the line between its status as a treasure trove of architectural history, and an epicentre of some of the city's most enjoyably 'out-there' occasions. Below, we've provided a rundown of what they have coming up this year...
If you’re looking to soak up some community spirit in one of the cosiest and most historically significant venues around, you could do worse than check out the Malt Cross, which is just a short walk out of Old Market Square.
The venue, a preserved Victorian music hall on St James’ Street, is a great example of a cultural spot that’s kept its attractive condition for a good century and counting while still catering to today’s diverse tastes in entertainment.
Marking its 148th birthday this year, the history of the Malt Cross stretches back to the halcyon times of Victorian music halls: locations which, back then, were known for their permissiveness surrounding drinking and smoking (as opposed to the more uptight and ‘proper’ theatres) and joyfulness that sprung from that more liberal atmosphere.
Originally intended as a skating rink, the building went on to host some loved theatrical talents in the early 20th century, like Fred Karno, who worked with Charlie Chaplin, and Nottingham local Sam Torr. Unfortunately, due to some underhand dealings, like rumoured, illegal cockerel fights, and a labelling as “a haunt for felons and whores”, the Malt Cross was shut down just before the First World War.
Revived much later as a music hall in the 80s, after decades as a warehouse, the venue changed hands many times, becoming in 2003 a base for local, charitable street pastors in Nottingham, which is where the name ‘Malt Cross’ came from. The grand re-opening, after a big restoration of the century old architecture, was in 2014. To this day, the Malt Cross remains a hot spot for some of the most forward-thinking events in Nottingham.
At glance, the events programme is definitely one put together with some out-of-the-box thinking. At intermittent points in 2025, for example, an artisan stallholder market called Cyndi Says Relax takes over the entire venue. Featuring various artisan crafts, themed cocktails and a live DJ, the event is geared towards the vulnerable and underrepresented, particularly women and non-binary people. The next market (at the time of writing) is scheduled for 16 May 2025.
On the other hand, if you’re an enthusiast for communal singing you’ll find few better opportunities to do so than Crazy Little Sing Called Pub, a now nationally loved event that sees musician Abi Moore gather together a bunch of strangers, in a pub, to belt out pop rock anthems. Although Abi’s toured the event all over the country its spiritual home is most definitely in Malt Cross. Back in October, we spoke to Abi, who had nothing but praise for the venue:
“I love the venue, with it being a Victorian music hall and that mezzanine level is so great,” she said. “It also has a projector screen and a stage halfway up the wall so you can surround yourselves with people. They’ve had a lot of success with Beer and Carols nights in December too.”
Crazy Little Sing Called Pub will return to the Malt Cross on 11 May 2025.
Beyond those examples, there’s plenty more to get up to over at the Cross, from improv comedy at the regularly scheduled Miss Imp, to Poets Against Racism: a group of writers and creatives who regularly gather at the Cross and invite writerly-minded folks to join them, showcasing their work.
If none of that piques your interest, we can't think what will. Go check out some of those consistently forward-thinking events, or at least immersive yourself in some perfectly preserved Victorian history; around the country, there aren’t too many opportunities to do so, but we’ve got one right here in Nottingham so honestly, what more could you ask for?
Visit the Malt Cross at 16 St James's St, Nottingham NG1 6FG
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