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We built this city: celebrating twenty years of I'm Not From London with head promoter Will Robinson

Fri 11 Jul 2025

Man about town, creature of the night, gig aficionado, and master of mayhem Will Robinson has been keeping Nottingham’s music scene alive and kicking for twenty years with promotion company I’m Not From London. As the fifteenth Waterfront Festival draws close on Saturday 2 August at the Canalhouse, anniversary celebrations in the works and a great roster of gigs coming up, we caught up with Will to hear some highlights from two decades of gigs.

Theatre Interview: Ifeanyi Felukwu

Thu 10 Jul 2025

A local production of 1984 is about to debut at the Nottingham Playhouse. Does a play from the 1940s still hold relevance for today's young people. Ifeanyi Felukwu, who plays Winston Smith, shares his views...

Interview : Film and Play Director Atticus Orsborn

Wed 09 Jul 2025

He may be directing films and plays in New York now, but Atticus Orsborn grew up in Nottingham. Fiercely proud of his roots, he shares the journey with Left Lion...

Nottingham's new print journal launches crowdfunding campaign

Wed 09 Jul 2025

Founded by LeftLion literature editor Andrew Tucker Leavis, the New Nottingham Journal is an upcoming print journal, set to showcase the work of writers from both Nottingham and further afield. With a crowdfunding campaign now launched, Andrew tells us more about this exciting new project.

From painting to dating: what's happening at the Malt Cross until September 2025?

Wed 09 Jul 2025

The next three months are set to be a busy few for the Malt Cross: Nottingham's buzzing, preserved Victorian music hall, on St James' Street. If you're looking for a weird or wonderful event that will get you socialising with all kinds of different people, they've probably got you covered. Here are some highlights, which we've picked out...

Review: Gate To Southwell Festival's 18th Birthday 2025

Mon 07 Jul 2025

The charming Gate To Southwell Festival has become a LeftLion summer favourite: a vibrant, family-friendly event pushing the boundaries of roots and folk music, and only a few miles from Nottingham. We visited the festival's green fields on Saturday to help celebrate its 18th birthday...

We Review Nottingham Poetry Festival 2025

Sat 05 Jul 2025

Callum Minford reflects on this year's Nottingham Poetry Festival and what it reveals to us about Nottingham's writing scene.

We speak to this year's eight Future Sound of Nottingham finalists

Fri 04 Jul 2025

The Future Sound of Nottingham returns to the Rock City main stage this Sunday 6th July. Eight Nottingham artists, living their dream and playing the most iconic stage in the city... plus there are two slots on the Splendour Festival main stage up for grabs! We had a chinwag with the eight finalists so you can get to know them a little better. Read on to hear from No Cash Refunds, Emily Alice, Megs, Molly in the Metro, Louie Walsh, Benji Romeo, Archy & The Astronauts and Saffron Gray...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #25: Notts music we're currently spinning

Fri 04 Jul 2025

In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from Parisa East, Torn Sail, Those Once Loyal and Mollie Ralph...

We chat to Set In Motion about what drives them, Splendour Festival, and their playlists...

Fri 04 Jul 2025

Set in Motion are one of the Nottingham music scene’s most promising bands. Noted for catchy indie hooks, powerful songs and incredible live performances, over the last two years they’ve made a name for themselves as a guitar music powerhouse act. We caught up with vocalist and guitarist Alfie Wallace, guitarist Dillan Telford, bassist Niall Hopkins and drummer Joe Carnell - outside the Fox and Grapes - to discuss their imminent Splendour Festival set, their future plans and what they’re listening to at the minute...

Save the last dance: how Torvill and Dean put Nottingham on the ice dancing map

Thu 03 Jul 2025

Beeston, 14 February 1984. I was fourteen, with nowhere to go for Valentine’s Day and zero interest in ice skating. However, these were the days of four TV channels (and the fourth was quite new), so mass TV events were a must watch. Plus Torvill and Dean were from Nottingham! So, we joined the twenty million to tune in to their Bolero at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics…

Left Magpie July 2025: Going to the Match with Stuart Maynard, Martin Paterson and LS Lowry

Wed 02 Jul 2025

Our monthly Notts County column is back after a hiatus and now penned by Julian McDougall, formerly of the beloved Notts County fanzine The Pie and currently of the excellent When Saturday Comes magazine. Here he muses about the appointment of Martin Paterson and the nature of supporters in the “Lowry-esque’ setting of Meadow Lane...

Local indie rockers The Publics talk influences, community and Splendour Festival

Wed 02 Jul 2025

Local indie legends The Publics are known for high energy live shows and a unique double frontman approach. From a huge, sold-out Rescue Rooms headline spot back in December to a main stage slot at Splendour this year, they’ve been up to some very big things. We caught up with lead guitarist Elliot Stephenson to discuss their influences, ethics and upcoming plans…

Cherelle Fulton tells us about Behind Closed Doors: a program spotlighting creative women in Notts

Tue 01 Jul 2025

Over at New Art Exchange, Behind Closed Doors is creating a new space for women in the creative industries to connect, collaborate and reshape the scene in Nottingham. Co-ordinator Cherelle Fulton discusses what fuelled her projects, including live music night Can’t Stand The Rain, the importance of community and connectivity, and creating safe spaces for women.

Preview: Future Sound of Nottingham at Rock City 2025

Mon 30 Jun 2025

Returning for 2025, the Future Sound of Nottingham gives Nottingham and Nottinghamshire musicians the opportunity to play the iconic main stages of both Rock City and Splendour Festival.

Flamboyant theatre, nature documentaries, comedy by a castle and up and coming Notts music: here's what's on 30 June - 6 July 2025

Sun 29 Jun 2025

This week in Notts... check out flamboyant theatre, thought provoking film, up and coming Notts music, vegan food and a comedy night by a castle.

“Not behind a tree, I wouldn’t do that”: Overheard in Notts June 2025

Sat 28 Jun 2025

Banksy, beavers and nine thousand pound fish all feature in this month's Overheard in Notts -

Our house: inside the communities who are bringing co-operative living to Nottingham

Sat 28 Jun 2025

Established in 2001, Neds is a housing co-operative in Nottingham, where members live in a large Victorian house and former pikelet factory. There’s a good chance that sentence raised a few questions for you… What is a housing co-operative? Is it a commune? Who’s Ned? … and what’s a pikelet? We’ll get to most of these questions shortly. But to answer the last one: it is a thin crumpet. Matteo D’Alesio finds out more…

Gig review and interview: Loren Kramar supports Father John Misty at Rock City

Fri 27 Jun 2025

We caught with up with American singer-songwriter Loren Kramar ahead of his Rock City show supporting the legendary Father John Misty...

LeftLion Issue #185 July 2025

Fri 27 Jun 2025

The July edition of LeftLion features the rebirth of Whycliffe, the Pride Shop, Torvill and Dean, I'm Not From London and the Waterfront Festival, The Grove, a new exhibition about trees at Nottingham Castle and lots more...

Festival review: LeftLion at Download Festival 2025

Wed 25 Jun 2025

Rock and metal fans from around the world descended again on Donington Park – just a short drive from Nottingham – for the ultimate celebration of rock music. LeftLion's Natalie Owen was right there in the thick of it, soaking up the chaos, the riffs, and the raw energy of Download Festival – a true titan of the UK festival scene. Here's how it went down...

Blue Peter stars, football tournaments, and immersive adventures: Gloworm Festival unveils its most expansive lineup yet

Wed 25 Jun 2025

Gloworm Festival is one of the most well loved fixtures in Nottingham's summer calendar - a dedicated family event that each year welcomes 20,000 visitors to Thoresby Park, in the heart of Nottinghamshire. With their most jam-packed line-up yet recently unveiled, we've provided you with some highlights at this year's instalment.

Out of Time: the lost history of Nottingham revealed in a new book by Joseph Earp

Tue 24 Jun 2025

Having recently published a new book that tracks the peculiar history of lost Nottingham buildings, Nottingham Hidden History team leader Joseph Earp told history editor CJ De Barra about how he took a detailed trip through time, discovering many of the stories hidden in our city streets.