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Classical Music Concert: Candlelight's Tribute to Fleetwood Mac at the National Justice Museum

In the pews of a Victorian courtroom, we hear the music of Fleetwood Mac like
never before...

Poetry Festival, indie music and Shakespeare: Here's whats on in Nottingham 9 - 15 June 2025

There's loads of events happening this week in Notts. We have the start of the Poetry festival, a re-invention of Hamlet, a indie music market and a live podcast event from Scummy Mummies...

Words to live by: marking one decade of the Nottingham Poetry Festival with poet Ben Macpherson

This month marks the tenth anniversary of Nottingham Poetry Festival - a kaleidoscopic set of events that sees poetry collide with activities like musical open mics, meditation and arts and crafts, all the while celebrating the art form, and its age-old centrality to the city of Nottingham. To mark the occasion, festival producer and local poet Ben Macpherson told us about the festival’s importance to Nottingham, and what people can expect from this year. 

Our May cover artist Becky Appleyard talks comic books, table-top games and advice

This month’s cover artist Becky Appleyard talks comic book art, inspirations, and advice for artists…

Competition: Win 3 X Pairs of Tickets for Just The Tonic's Summer Comedy Shindig at Elvastan Castle.

Nottingham's longest-running comedy club is putting on a summer weekend of comedy in the idyllic surrounds of Elvastan Castle in Derbyshire. We have some tickets to give away....

By the willows: Refugee Roots and Red Sea FC bring the beautiful game to Attenborough

Refugee Roots a local charity helping refugees build friendships and find a place to call home recently sponsored the Red Sea FC, a team largely made up of refugees whose goal is to ‘bring together sport-loving youth from all over the globe.’ The team made up of members of the refugee and migrant communities that have recently arrived to Nottingham and consider this city their second home entered the development league and proudly wear the kit sponsored by Refugee Roots. 

At the game where the team premiered wearing their new kits, volunteer befriender and language teacher Dr Christopher Towers, a poet, academic and football lover who also has a particular passion for football poetry and written collections such as Hinterlands made sure he wasn’t on the bench for this game and came to experience it all.

Lucky for some: We meet the host of Bongo’s Bingo, a night out that is redefining a classic game

A decade since they burst onto the scene, Bongo’s Bingo has led the way to reinventing the classic number game - bringing dance-offs, rave intervals, and audience challenges to provide a whole lot more fun and chaos than the traditional format. Now moving to a new home at The Palais on Lower Parliament Street, we spoke to host Adam Apple to find out what it’s like to call the numbers and manage the mayhem.

Beyond the Blame: Photographer Jayne Jackson on her social justice exhibition Asking For It at the National Justice Museum.

Documentary photographer Jayne Jackson’s award-winning exhibition Asking For It examines the pervasive issue of victim blaming in sexual and gender-based violence through a historical lens. Ahead of its installation at Nottingham’s National Justice Museum, we spoke to Jayne about the personal, political, and emotional layers of the work, highlighting the urgent need to shift societal perceptions and better support survivors of sexual violence.

Guilty?! Escape Room Returns to the National Justice Museum

Travel back to the 1830’s as you solve clues to prove your innocence and explore hidden spaces in Nottingham’s ancient gaol...

We hear from GOBs Poetry Collective on their fifth anniversary

One of Nottingham’s leading poetry groups, GOBS Collective, turns five this year. With an impressive list of publications, events and live showcases under their belts, our Literature Editor Andrew Tucker talks about the need for such creative communities that help people find their poetic voice.

The Beautiful Game: Notts County through the photographer’s lens

John Anderson is a professional photographer with a passion for Notts County FC. After years of corporate jobs and taking photos of Queen Elizabeth, in 2016 he decided to pursue a passion project and take photos at Meadow Lane. However, his focus is usually on the crowd rather than on the pitch… 

What happens when you realise winning means betting on others losing? Gary Stevenson knows first-hand.

Gary Stevenson became the youngest and most successful trader in the city. Now he shares the insider's guide to the financial world that influences all our lives. 

Live poetry review: Power Cut by Poets off the Endz at Fishergate Point

Sunday evening at Fishergate Point was buzzing with anticipation for the latest performance by creative collective Poets Off The Endz, who kicked off the first night of their new project with Chapter 1: Power Cut. The concept: a power cut. The question: what comes to light when the power goes out?

Friends, football, and poetry

With male loneliness widespread in our modern age, award-winning poet Lewis Buxton comes to Nottingham to share his very personal struggles and how he found a way forward... 

Back to our Roots: How Roots Allotments are changing the gardening game

Whether it’s a hunger for connection with nature, or healthier, nutrient rich food, allotment gardening has seen a surge in interest in recent years. In the face of towering waiting lists for council-run plots, Roots Allotments are shaking things up with a fresh approach. We visited their new Nottingham patch to find out what the excitement’s all about.

From migrant poetry to psychey deepsea disco: Here's what's on in Nottingham this week, 30 September - 6 October, Pick of Week

Whether you're a poetry fan, a Kate Bush aficionado, a sucker for local alt-folk, or just a pirate at heart, there's plenty to keep you busy this week in Nottingham. 

A gamemaster in Notts: we hear from an escape room employee

Escape rooms have become quite a craze in recent years - so much so that Nottingham is lucky to boast almost fifty different rooms in and around the city. Ranging from the family-friendly and fun to the downright creepy and challenging, the premise is simple - your team is locked in a space for typically one hour and must solve a series of puzzles in order to escape - and with intricate sets, curious props and clever narratives, they make for an immersive and unique experience. 

We decided to chat to one gamemaster in Notts to see what goes on behind the scenes, learn how the stories are created, and hear some of the strange observations they get on human relationships …Can you guess which escape room we spoke to? 

The Thompsons on poetry, craft beer and the Euros

Nottingham's most opinionated greengrocers on poetry, craft beer and the Euros

A Mini-Tour of The Nottingham Poetry Festival

Every summer a wave of dreamy-eyed people bearing notepads descends upon the city...

Now, although only in its seventh edition, the Nottingham Poetry Festival is already one of our most treasured parts of our cultural calendar. This year LeftLion sampled just a small slice of what was on offer...

We speak to poet Luke Wright before his appearance at Nottingham Poetry Festival

You’re invited to Luke Wright’s Silver Jubilee! He’s throwing the ballad bunting up and stacking the plates full of poems for a visit to Nottingham Poetry Festival tomorrow, commencing his five date UK tour celebrating his 25 year long career.

We speak to Benjamin Wigley, director of Paa Joe & the Lion ahead of Nottingham Poetry Festival

Next year, Nottingham Poetry Festival will be celebrating its tenth anniversary. The longevity and success of the festival, which began as a project by Confetti and is now its own company, is an ode to Nottingham’s burgeoning poetry scene. This year, part of a jam-packed programme, is a screening of three films featuring poetry by the late, great, Benjamin Zephaniah. We spoke to the film's director and friend of Zephaniah, Benjamin Wigley, along with the festival’s creative director, Alma Solarte-Tobón.

We speak to dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson ahead of Nottingham Poetry Festival

Pioneer of dub poetry, NME journalist, trailblazing activist, father and grandfather, the first black poet published by Penguin Modern Classics - Linton Kwesi Johnson has worn all these hats and more. Wondering which hat he’ll wear at the Nottingham Poetry Festival on June 14, we gave him a call…

We tried out the National Justice Museum's brand new escape room

Adding another facet to their already varied and exciting calendar of events, The National Justice Museum has launched Guilty?! - a new escape room that takes players for an interactive adventure through the Grade II listed historic prison. The LeftLion team went down to try it out…

Poetry, Light Displays, and The History of Electronic Music Here's What's On This Week in Nottingham: 15 - 21 April 2024

There's plenty to keep you entertained this week in Nottingham, from futuristic light displays in the sky to reflective poetry and the history of electronic music. Here's our top picks of what to get up to....

Concert Review: Valentine's Day Candlelight Concert at the Galleries of Justice

The atmospheric courtroom of the National Justice Museum was the perfect setting for a romantic Valentine's Candlelight Concert on 16 February 2024....