This week in Notts is, like usual, another great one. If you fancy a mix of live music (either jazz or emo, up to you) Peggy's Skylight and Rescue Rooms both have gigs waiting in the wings. But if you've got young ones to entertain then Lakeside Arts has you covered. Here's what's happening...
When: Tuesday 28th July
Where: The Arc Cinema, Beeston
How Much: From £15.95
In 1985, Wham! were the first Western pop group to perform in communist China. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s two concerts in Beijing and Guangzhou introduced live Western pop to Chinese audiences and marked a turning point for the band. This tour was about more than music; it was a bold move to capture American attention and launch them into global superstardom and it worked. This 90-minute documentary draws on meticulously restored, newly digitised and never-before-seen archive footage, alongside interviews with those who experienced the tour firsthand, the film revisits this historic moment through the eyes of the band, their team and Chinese audiences encountering Western pop culture for the first time.
Wednesday Walkthrough of Physical Culture by Augustas Serapinas with Marta Marsicka
When: Wednesday 29 July
Where: Nottingham Contemporary
How Much: Free
This Summer Nottingham Contemporary is presenting the first institutional solo exhibition in England by Lithuanian artist Augustas Serapinas featuring his large-scale sculptural installation, Physical Culture. Join Marta Marsicka, a curator, researcher, and art historian for a walkthrough of the exhibition. The session will invite participants to think collectively about how bodies are shaped through education, and how these histories continue to resonate within contemporary artistic practice. Marta Marsicka is a curator, researcher, and art historian based in the Midlands. Their practice engages with East-Central European identity, migration, care, and the politics of representation in post-Brexit Britain.
When: Friday 31st July
Where: Peggy Skylight
How Much: £18
Rodina is a musical project by singer songwriter Aoife Hearty and her partner, co-writer and keyboardist Joe Tatton. After a six year hiatus they’ve released their latest album Good Company, and will bring their dynamic jazz funk show to Notts later this month. Their sound is known for how danceable and psychedelic it can get, combining Aoife’s soulful vocals with Joe’s Hammond and Rhodes playing, plus additional live band members. Support has come their way from BBC Radio 2 and 6. If you schedule just one memorable night of jazz in Notts this month, we’d recommend this as your first choice.
When: Saturday 1st August
Where: Rescue Rooms
How Much: £14.30
If you are looking for a concert to remember this week, My Chemical Hoemance might be the night for you. The first ever female-fronted My Chemical Romance tribute band are here to celebrate 20 years of the emo, early 2000s hits we all know. This five-person punk group takes to the Rescue Rooms stage this Saturday with corsets and open waistcoats, smudged eyeliner and a lot of strutting. You can expect a high-energy, sleazy delivery with a new brand of grit and grunge, making this the perfect night to relive The Black Parade. You won't want to miss if this music is close to your heart.
Prehistoric Lives of the Trent Valley
When: Every Thurs-Sun until 17th January 2026
Where:
How Much: Free
Only arriving less than a week ago at Lakeside Arts, a fascinating new Prehistoric exhibition uncovers the lives of prehistoric individuals, and brings to life the area that once was Trent Valley. This insightful exhibition showcases the traces and discoveries of these communities from millions of years ago, and held up by years of archaeological and paleo-environmental investigation, It explains how these fragile artefacts and natural environment of the Valley have been preserved for so long.
Check out other things to do in Nottingham this week on our sister website, notts.com.
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