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Review: Hockley Hustle 2025

There are community festivals and then there is Hockley Hustle. Continuing to be in a league of its own, this time last week venues across Hockley and Sneinton were filled with the sounds of an incredibly diverse and talented array of artists, all raising money for local charities. As ever, our music team went along to soak up the heartwarming atmosphere – here are our highlights in words and pictures...

Instagram's The Nottingham Pint Guide on championing our city's independent boozers

Nottingham’s pub scene is up there with the best in the country, and nobody knows it better than Tom Head – or, as you probably know him, Nottingham Pint Guide. Chances are you’ve stumbled across his Instagram while scrolling your feed, so we met up with the Pintman himself to talk all things beer. Tom is Nottingham’s lager-loving, ale-guzzling champion of the city’s independent boozers. He also happens to be married to our Food Co-Editor…

Gig review: Sigrid at Metronome

On the first properly chilly night this autumn, Sigrid breezed into town with Nordic flair. Only a few hours before the release of her third studio album, There’s Always More That I Could Say, the Norwegian pop singer-songwriter appeared at the incredibly intimate setting of Metronome... 

Gig review: Somebody’s Child at Rescue Rooms, with better joy

With barely a moment to breathe, the Somebody's Child tour pushed on through Nottingham this week. The Irish five-piece are riding a rising wave of success following the release of their exuberant album earlier this year. Accompanied by the brilliantly chosen better joy as tour support, the musicians crafted another memorable evening at Rescue Rooms...

A conversation with Cara Thompson: Nottingham’s new Nature Poet Laureate

Back in late August, Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature announced Cara Thompson as the city’s first Nature Poet Laureate. Cara is an art-ivist, performer, and writer, a founding member of the Nottingham Black Creatives Network and the 2021 winner of Slamovision. Her work draws heavily from her Caribbean-British background – encouraging creative discussion of social issues. Below we meet Cara and learn all about her… 

Gig review: The Last Dinner Party at The Level

Nottingham's Shakespeare Street is lined with hundreds of people dressed in long skirts, corsets and Victorian-esque clothing. Some wear hoodies with red embroidered writing that says From The Pyre. We know we're in the right place: The Level, where the incredible The Last Dinner Party are performing their latest album, released only a few days before...

In photos: Panic Shack at Rescue Rooms

Little more than five months after they stunned a packed-out Bodega, Welsh punk five-piece Panic Shack returned to Nottingham for an ever bigger and more triumphant show at Rescue Rooms...

Gig review: Reef at Rock City

Anyone who managed to place their hands on tickets for the Reef gig at Rock City knew they were in for a good night of music as the band played the entirety of their 1995 debut album in its 30th anniversary year....

Gig review: Busted vs McFly at Motorpoint Arena

It’s not often you get to see two of Britain’s biggest pop-rock exports of the 2000s go head-to-head on one stage, but Busted vs McFly proved exactly why both bands still command such massive affection decades later...

Gig review: George Gadd + The Aftermath at The Bodega

Where better for George Gadd and his band to host a homecoming show (and launch a new album) than The Bodega? We joined the sold out show and discovered warmth, music and plenty of vinyl...

Gig review: The Wedding Present at Rock City

A new Queer club night arriving in Nottingham: The creation of 'Trancesexuals'

Former LeftLion Screen Editor Autumn Parker and local artist & DJ Chan Hyacinth have teamed up to create a dynamic multi-genre trans powered club night collective Trancesexuals. Trancesexuals is a warm and welcoming space to showcase talented trans DJs across the UK, with an emphasis on alluring visuals, authentic vibes and a dynamic range of unique sounds. Their nights take place at trans-inclusive spaces and often hold specific themes to match the transcendental music and mood of the night. We caught up with Chan and Autumn to get more details of their club night, how Trancesexuals affirms the trans community and how the collective initially came together...

Gig review: The Rock Orchestra - The Arena of Fire - at Motorpoint Arena

Stereotypically, orchestras play classical music. The two go hand in hand. It’s a natural combination. However, one collective of musicians are trying, and succeeding, to prove this wrong. They are The Rock Orchestra, and they perform orchestral arrangements of hugely popular rock and metal songs to huge audiences globally, alongside three incredible main vocalists, some insanely good fire dancers, and huge, gothic-inspired stage pieces. The combination of all these elements makes them extremely popular amongst concert-goers, and they are truly a treat to watch and hear. We caught them at Motorpoint Arena for their Arena of Fire production, their biggest and boldest show yet...

Gig review: The Boomtown Rats at the Royal Concert Hall

The Boomtown Rats demonstrated they are still very much a force to be reckoned with in today’s music scene with a powerful performance at Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall - the opening date of the band's 50th birthday tour...

Ballet Black founder Cassa Pancho on growing an inclusive dance company and bringing it to Nottingham's Theatre Royal

Ballet Black was set up in 2001, in response to a lack of black and Asian dancers working in professional ballet across the UK. It has since emerged as a pivotal force in altering the landscape of British ballet. With a new show heading to Nottingham’s Theatre Royal this month, we put some questions to Ballet Black founder Cassa Pancho…

Gig review: Welly at The Bodega

Last week, Welly returned to The Bodega with more banging tunes, bigger moshpits and a sky full of bubbles. Walking out to the tune of The Macarena, Welly promises a night defined by character and charisma, with songs charged with social commentary to a soundtrack that inspired endless moshpits...

How the Sisterhood Collective is connecting women photographers in Nottingham

Meet the Sisterhood Collective — a volunteer-led network giving women and women-identifying photographers in Nottingham a space to connect, create, and be seen. Run by photographer and arts programmer Susana de Dios and Alecia Barnes, co-owner of Sneinton Market’s film camera shop and film lab LensFayre, the Collective has grown into a supportive hub where photographers can share their practice, sharpen their skills, and build confidence together.

Born out of a need to challenge the systemic barriers that women in photography still face, from limited access to funding and equipment, to a lack of exhibition opportunities and mentorship, the Sisterhood Collective blends monthly meet-ups with hands-on workshops, peer critique sessions, themed projects, informative talks, and more.

Ahead of their collaborative exhibition at Nottingham Central Library, on 6 November, Susana and Alecia spoke about what it means to create a safe and educational space for Nottingham’s women photographers…

Primary talks about their new open exhibition and visual arts in the Lenton and Radford community

Primary  has a lot going on. After years of renting, the multi-purpose arts organization bought their own building in 2020 (no mean feat in a sector that’s often chronically underfunded), and have since enjoyed an incredible period of growth, with investment from Arts Council England kicking off an upgrade project for their pretty beautiful Grade II listed former school building. This month Primary will host an exciting new open exhibition, so we decided to find out more about the building and its connection with the local community.

Gig review: Allo Darlin' at The Old Cold Store

A reunion of many, with the moon looking down on it all... LeftLion's Michael Prince found himself in awe and happiness as he witnessed the long-overdue return of indie-pop band Allo Darlin'...

Gig review: Goldie Lookin Chain at Metronome

In 2004 Goldie Lookin Chain burst onto the music scene with their top three single Guns Don’t Kill People Rappers Do, quickly followed by a top five album Greatest Hits. There had been nothing like them before, and it could be said that GLC did for rap what the Macc Lads did for Rock. The lyrics are funny, often explicit and satirise hip hop culture with a heavy emphasis of growing up and living in Wales, and specifically the town of Newport. While the group have not enjoyed the same chart success, they continue to regularly release albums and have a large and loyal following, many of whom turn up to gigs in dodgy shell suits and chunky gold chains. It is the live experience where GLC truly shine and tonight’s gig at Metronome was a sell out...

All singing, all dancing: Here's what's on in Nottingham 13 - 19 October

There's plenty to do this week in Nottingham, whether you're flexing your singing muscles, enjoying some immersive theatre, or participating in the yearly Reclaim the Night march. Here are our Picks of the Week. 

A laughing matter: meeting four performers at the Nottingham Comedy Festival 2025

The Nottingham Comedy Festival returns between Friday 31 October - Sunday 9 November for its 17th year, and will see a diversity of comedians from across the country visit Notts for ten days of unparalleled fun and laughter. Wondering what to expect? Below we meet four performers featured on the festival line-up…

How the NottAlone podcast is helping Nottingham musicians to discuss mental health

In an industry often defined by image, performance, and pressure, talking about mental health can feel daunting. But here in Nottingham, a community of musicians is breaking through that silence– and the NottAlone Podcast is giving them the space to do it...

Theatre Review: To Kill a Mockingbird at Nottingham Playhouse

What an exciting prospect it is to watch a classic play adapted by a true Hollywood legend of screenwriting - Aaron Sorkin. He’s no stranger to this genre of busy courtrooms, channelling his signature style of fast-talking characters into a modern and energetic adaptation... 

In photos: LYVIA at Rescue Rooms