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A tale of five cities: five things that make Nottingham culture unique

It’s September, the start of the academic year – and with an increased number of student eyes on this magazine, we thought we’d highlight five qualities that make Nottingham culture special: literature, rebels, sport, innovation, and caves. Whether you’re new to Notts or a long-established resident, we hope that these historical tid-bits remind you why it’s great.

Nadia on… the curriculum review

In this month's column, Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome talks about the government's review on the national curriculum.

Locating D.H. Lawrence: September 1925

In another life, D.H. Lawrence could have worked for Thomas Cook...

In photos: No Peeling at JT Soar

Gig review: Black Country, New Road at Rock City

Black Country, New Road's Forever Howlong tour kicked off at Rock City for what was - shockingly - the first headline gig for the band in the city. One of the best exports from The Windmill Brixton scene proved once again why they’re worth the hype...

Ten UoN and Trent alumni who went on to be famous

September is the month that our city welcomes back the students after the summer break. Around 50,000 university students live in Nottingham each year and many of them end up doing remarkable things during and after their time here. Here’s ten former students from each of our local universities whom you may have heard of or recognise for what they’ve done after they graduated…

Comedy Review: Nightmare! Nightmare! Kill! Kill! at the Lord Roberts

Benthic Zone and Doxxie Phisher are back and with a UFO theme. Will the audience be probed?  

Lola Young, Day Fever and the Festival of Food and Drink: Here's what's on in Notts this week 15-21 September 2025

Nottingham is hosting a diverse range of events this week, from back-to-back musical performances arranged by Rough Trade to a majestic murder mystery dinner night and a 2000s emo festival. Be it enjoying comedic nostalgia with Friends on stage or witnessing an epic confrontation between local poets, there is something for everyone and this week's top picks from our city are...

These streets are ours: Sneinton Market Avenues

For this instalment of These Streets are Ours we celebrate the creative hub of Sneinton Market Avenues…

Night Creatures Podcast #1: Felix Coulton (aka OK Flex) on founding Swing Dash Radio and opening Movers in Hockley

Night Creatures is a new LeftLion podcast, shining a light on the promoters of Nottingham. Your host and interviewer is Beane, co-founder of Nottingham’s beloved Soul Buggin’ night and he brings with him over twenty years of experience of putting on great parties in the city...

Left Stag: September 2025 Stags away, I like it! 

Our Mansfield Town FC writer, Josh Osoro Pickering, is back with tales of a well-travelled period for the Stags... 

Theatre Review: The Last Stand Of Mary Whitehouse at the Nottingham Playhouse

Today's youth might think Mary Whitehouse was some cartoonish figure-of-fun. A prude and a bigot, leftover from the Victorian era. Not at all. Known as the most dangerous woman in England at the time, she wreaked havoc. The Playhouse's brand new play shares the horror...  

Gig review: Sancho Panza at The Bodega

On Saturday, The Bodega set the stage for a funk-soaked evening in celebration of Sancho Panza's latest single, Your place or mine?. Headlining the night, the band delivered a performance that felt like a milestone moment for Nottingham’s live music scene. Supported by two other local bands, Stone Black Witches and Soft Serve, the lineup showcased our city’s thriving wave of talent. And of course, LeftLion was there too...

We speak to Dan Cunningham of Vona Vella

Nottingham five-piece Vona Vella formed in lockdown and have gone from strength to strength since. Gigging around Notts - and co-managing The Grove - has seen them hone their skills and build up a loyal following. We caught up with singer-songwriter Dan Cunningham to talk about Bear Trap, forging their own path in the industry and the benefits of ditching London...

Exploring street art in Beeston with Jeanie Barton

Over the past ten years, the suburb south-west of Notts: Beeston, has become a hub for striking and inspiring street art, thanks to the efforts of the ever-industrious Beeston Civic Society. From tributes to Nottingham legends like Paul Smith and Richard Beckinsale, to an artistic interpretation of the butterflies that migrate from Africa to Attenborough Nature Reserve and Beeston Marina, take a stroll through Beeston and you’ll be treated to many visual treats lauding local culture. We asked Jeanie Barton, the person who set the Beeston street art wheels in motion, to tell us more about it.

Life in Light: catching up with landscape photographer Tracey Whitefoot

Born and bred in Nottingham, Tracey Whitefoot has spent the last two decades as a freelance photographer. In that time she’s photographed a lot of famous faces, as well as capturing the amazing cityscapes she has become known for. We asked her about her work and her exhibition, My Life In Light, currently on show at Nottingham Central Library…