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Comedy Review: Kiell Smith-Bynoe’s Kool Story Bro at the Nottingham Playhouse

Kiell Smith-Bynoe (star of Ghosts, Taskmaster and Stath Lets Flats) fronts the Kool Story Bro, which is renowned for inventive, off the hoof improvised comedy with a bevy of surprise celebrity hosts. But will they deliver tonight, and who is the special guest...

Theatre Review: Northern Ballet - Michael Pink’s Cinderella

A beauty and originality where the dancers and the music hold you close, in a heartfelt hug.

Haunting: Write Queer’s third DIY zine collection launches at Nottingham Central Library this spooky season.

It’s not just Halloween to be getting excited about next week! Last month, Write Queer announced the chosen writers to be featured in their third grassroots zine collection, Haunting. Next Friday brings a celebratory launch event of the new issue, local creatives, and LGBTQ+ voices together at Nottingham Central Library.

LeftLion's Latest Listens #54: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this 54th edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from ROB GREEN, Revenge of Calculon, Pillow Fort, Lucas Walters and A-Tota-So

The next stage: 25 years of the Nottingham Arts Theatre

For the past 25 years Nottingham Arts Theatre has been serving the city with a programme of local and touring indie stage shows in their iconic 200 year old Hockley building. We spoke to poet, and theatre Chair director Campbell Kay about the theatre’s journey, its role as an educational charity nurturing theatrical talent in Nottingham and their diverse range of shows…

Theatre review: Underneath the Lintel at Nottingham Arts Theatre

Marilyn Ann Bird gives a spectacular solo performance in Underneath the Lintel this week at Nottingham Arts Theatre...

Nottingham Comedy Festival 2026: chatting to the performers

Starting Friday 30 October, the Nottingham Comedy Festival is back, bringing ten days of national talent and hilarity to bars, pubs and clubs of Nottingham. We spoke to a few comedians involved to find out what’s so funny…

Bringing Nottingham Together Through Film: Inside Nottingham Film Festival

Director of Programming Ciaran Shea discusses Nottingham Film Festival’s expansion, its commitment to local filmmakers and sustainable cinema, and its ambition to make film accessible to everyone across the city.

Gig review: Skating Polly at The Bodega

US ugly pop trio Skating Polly are fast building a strong following this side of the Atlantic, built on their wildly energetic and vibrant live shows. Their last tour in 2025 garnered critical acclaim, so naturally we headed down to The Bodega to see what all the fuss was about…

Theatre Review: Thick & Tight: Natural Behaviour at Lakeside Arts

Two moths, a pantomime horse, a lesbian seagull and the dust in Quentin Crisp's bedroom walk into a theatre. It sounds like the start of a joke, and to be fair, sometimes it is. But Thick & Tight's Natural Behaviour is also one of the more quietly radical things to land at Lakeside this year...

Theatre Review: Tell Me Where It Hurts at Nottingham Playhouse

A fiercely honest, darkly funny exploration of women's health, confronting the devastating consequences of living with a condition that, for too long, has gone unheard...

Gig Review: Brandon Flowers at Rock City

It’s not too often we get a bona fide superstar and one of the greatest songwriters of this generation come to town. As part of his THRASHER world tour, the charming frontman of 00s indie icons The Killers, Brandon Flowers, stopped by Rock City for a special and incredibly intimate show, playing a bunch of his new country songs and a couple of career classics too. A night to remember for those in attendance, here’s what went down when this arena-sized artist played in such a humble setting, right in the heart of Nottingham…

Gig Review: Lime Garden at Rescue Rooms

Arriving to Nottingham off the back of their brilliant sophomore album Maybe Not Tonight, all-female indie quartet from Brighton, Lime Garden, are quickly becoming everyone’s favourite new UK band. Riding a wave momentum and promising a Saturday night party, we headed along to their sold-out Rescue Rooms show to catch them in action…

Gig review: Courtney Barnett at Rock City

Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett was back at Rock City last week, treating her fans to another captivating performance with songs from her back catalogue and new album, Creature of Habit, with support from Body Type...

Gig review: Fat Dog at Rough Trade Nottingham

Fat Dog are no strangers to Nottingham's bigger venues. But how would their trade mark chaotic energy translate to the more intimate setting of Rough Trade's upstairs room? While the moshing was more restricted, we discovered endless dancing, plenty of energy and a room full of people who had come for the same reason: to feel alive through the power of music...

In photos: Jamie T at The Level

Singer-songwriter and producer Jamie T brought his signature blend of rock, ska and hip hop  influenced music to a stripped back (and gorgeously lit) The Level. Behold these beautiful images captured by our photographer Zach...

Classical Concert Review: NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra with Stanislav Kochanovsky at the Royal Concert Hall

The NDR RADIO PHILHARMONIC is the English name for the NDR Radiophilharmonie from Hannover. And NDR stands for Norddeutscher Rundfunk, which translates to North German Broadcasting. So  that's  the words taken care of, what was the music like....

Theatre Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

An autistic teenage girl investigates a murder...

Gig review: Basht. at Rough Trade

It's hard to find an out-of-town band with so much love for Nottingham as Irish post-punk scenesters Basht. This year alone they have played in our city twice, and plan to go for a hattrick in late October with an appearance at Rescue Rooms. With this admiration, it's obvious why we were so keen to catch their show at Rough Trade as it celebrated the release of one of the best albums of 2026...

Gig review: Madra Salach at Rescue Rooms, with Tanzana

Madra Salach's first visit to our city was unmissable and never to be forgotten: a melting pot of passion, folk tradition and zeitgeist-defeating songwriting. With Tanzana setting a high bar in support, the collective memory of Rescue Rooms may never be the same...

Gig review: Lake Malice at Rescue Rooms

Supported by Eville and Chaosbay, Lake Malice arrived in Nottingham for one of the most emotionally charged nights of their current run. The show at Rescue Rooms marked the second-to-last date of the tour, adding an extra sense of significance to the evening. That feeling was heightened by the fact that vocalist Alice Guala was battling illness but continued to perform, downing honey in between each song...

Inside Mayhem Film Festival: Celebrating Independent Genre Cinema in Nottingham

Mayhem Film Festival co-directors Steven Sheil, Meli Gueneau and Chris Cooke discuss the festival’s 21-year journey, its role in championing independent and international filmmakers, and why Nottingham’s genre film community continues to thrive.

Dabbling in the Dark Arts: we catch up with organisers of the Dark Arts Market

It’s officially the spooky season, but for Fiona Holmes and Elyssa Fleming, the eldritch, strange and eerie is more than just an aesthetic that ends with Halloween. They talk to LeftLion about how they created The Dark Arts Market, a place where all ‘alt’ artists and creatives, at all stages of their creative career, can feel seen and supported. 

Gig review: Antony Szmierek at The Level

“Had a panic attack in a park last year in Nottingham - and that wasn't great really” reveals Mancunian spoken-word poet Antony Szmierek, on his brilliant second album, Decoding Birdsong. Given this, you would forgive the former teacher for wanting to avoid our city for a little while. However rather than running away from his demons, Antony returned this past week to fully exorcise them. Here’s what went down at his euphoric, cathartic and instantly legendary show at The Level…

Festival review: Beeston Oxjam 2026