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Left Brian: September 2025: Did I miss much?

Julie Pritchard, the creator of the classic nineties 'Brian' fanzine, is back to detail an ever so smooth sailing September at Forest and to get excited about European adventures once again...

Life Behind Bars: With Jake Henson, bar staff at Angel Microbrewery

For this instalment of Life Behind Bars we reached out to Jake - who works at one of Hockley's most loved alternative pubs: The Angel.

Theatre, gigs, poetry and art: here's what's on this week 22 - 28 September 2025

Whether you fancy indulging in some playful art, enjoying some excellent theatre, checking out some chap hop or getting inspired by poetry, there's plenty on in Notts this week...

Perfect Harmony: talking the power of communal singing with the Nottingham Harmonic Choir

While a couple of decades ago the word choir may have brought to mind stuffy scenes of Sunday’s Songs of Praise, in the past ten years group singing has had quite a reputation change. Not only does group singing increase wellbeing and happiness, it has also been shown to release neurochemicals that aid in pain-relief. With this in mind, as the autumn sets in, Frances Danylec went along to check out the Nottingham Harmonic Choir, and learn about their nearly 170 year history…

Exhibition review: Relic at 28 Broad Street

Kid30 and friends bring you an immersive, bleak and humourous take on the future in this pop-up exhibition showing this weekend only in Nottingham City Centre...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #31: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from Sancho Panza, Parisa East, Fools & Sages and Blackadder...

Theatre review: FRIENDS! The Musical Parody at Theatre Royal Nottingham

Could we BE anymore excited about this musical? All the feel-good moments of the hit 90s sitcom Friends was brought to life on stage at Theatre Royal this week…

TV legend Steve Backshall on his upcoming Deadly Live show at Motorpoint Arena

If you've ever wondered what kind of person willingly dives headfirst into crocodile-infested waters, wrestles with giant anacondas, or casually points out how a tarantula could melt your face off — meet Steve Backshall. Adventurer, presenter, author, and all-round animal maniac (the loveable kind),

Steve has spent the last couple of decades getting way too cosy with the kind of animals most of us would sprint away from. We caught up with Steve ahead of his Deadly Live! show at Motorpoint Arena, to find out what thrills and spills audiences can expect from the show, how he handles those hairy moments (literally), and deep dive into some of Steve’s favourite animal experiences.

How the Sound Sanctuary is keeping Notts ravers safe

A lover of music and the underground rave scene, Magda realised the parties they were attending were under-delivering on safety. In 2023, they began The Sound Sanctuary: a travelling stand, a bunch of supplies and a few passionate people providing first aid and drug education to help partiers feel safe in the rave… 

Live Q&A: Saint Etienne in conversation at Rough Trade

Saint Etienne graced Rough Trade for a Q&A about their final album, International - a release which marks the last chapter in the band's career after 35 years in the industry....

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...

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.

Folklore and Fear: Darren Simpson discusses his latest scary novel Thirst

Known for his gritty, thought-provoking books for older children, we caught up with self-professed cake lover and award-winning author Darren Simpson to discuss how fear and folklore have inspired his latest chilling tale, Thirst...

Gig review: GANS at The Bodega, with Hungry

Brum two-piece GANS  are quickly finding themselves in quite the spotlight. Despite only forming in 2023, guitarist Thomas Rhodes and drummer Euan Woodman have already got a discography that borrows from industrial rock, alternative and techno to create massive sounds. LeftLion headed down to The Bodega to find out exactly what the fuss was all about...

Beyond the Wall: the New Art Exchange team talk telling stories with street art in Hyson Green and Morocco

In recent years, the New Art Exchange gallery in Hyson Green has sought to firmly centre their ambitions in serving the local community – placing the cultural needs of the neighbourhood first. A big part of that has been their street art and murals project: Beyond the Wall, which via lots of ambition and creativity has spanned both Hyson Green and Marrakesh, Morocco. We spoke about the project with NAE CEO Saad Eddine Said and artist Laura Decorum – whose work has been vital to Beyond the Wall…