Site search

Pick Six: Craig Proud of Nottingham print studio Dizzy Ink

For this month’s Pick Six we turn to Craig Proud of print studio Dizzy Ink, who hosts Notts Zine Fest on Saturday 8 November at the Central Library.

Bonfires, bands, theatre, zines and a film festival: here's what's on in Notts this week 3 - 9 November 2025

Ignore the chilly weather, there's lots to indulge in this week in Notts. From fairs selling zines and crafts, to classic stories on the stage and a film festival. Check out some of our top picks...

The It's in Nottingham Christmas Market Returns To Nottingham Castle

It’s in Nottingham, the city’s Business Improvement District (BID), has announced the return of the popular Christmas Market at Nottingham Castle. For the first time, the festivities will take place across three days, from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 November.

Rap artist JayaHadADream on her debut record and the Nottingham music scene

Since winning last year’s Glastonbury Festival Emerging Talent competition, things have only been on the up for Cambridge-via-Notts artist JayaHadADream. From collaborating with both local names and national heavyweights in dance music and hip hop, like Andy Zoutr, Gardna, and Flowdan, to receiving nods from the likes of Stormzy, there’s truly no stopping her. Wonderfully, she also got her start right here in Nottingham.

With her debut album Happiness From Agony now released, plus a Metronome show this month, she told us how life’s going at the moment.

In photos: Coheed and Cambria at Rock City

Music review: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra came to the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall last week led by its musical director Vasily Petrenko...

What you can and can't recycle in Nottingham City Council brown grey-lidded bins

Are you a Nottingham City Council resident? Do you have a brown bin with a grey lid? Not exactly sure what should go in it? Let us help guide you. It might be simpler than you think...

Gig review: Grandma's House at The Bodega

It’s up for debate when exactly Grandma’s House last played in Nottingham. With a little help from the crowd, it’s narrowed down to sometime in 2021 that they last occupied The Bodega stage. The intervening four years have seen the group iterate and further define their sound, moving the needle from post-punk to what feels tonight more like garage-rock, leading to a barnstorming gig that's a throwback to the early-00s, as fun as it is fierce...

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... 

LeftLion's Latest Listens #34: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this week's edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from flöat, The Missing Diamonds, Emily Sanders, Di$mal and Lucy Crisp...

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...

Project bucket list: how one Notts man is changing his life one goal at a time

We all have life goals, whether they be modest or lofty – but how often do we put a plan in place to achieve them? Notts-based marketer Dan Davison is one man who is well on his way to fulfilling his ambitions. From trying out foraging, beekeeping, and rock climbing, to seeing the sunrise at Stonehenge, his Project Bucket List adventures are sure to provide a little inspiration…

Concert review: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with Michael Seal at the Royal Concert Hall

Conducted with an unshowy economy by Michael Seal, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra led an appreciative Nottingham audience through a musical exploration of spaces both literal and liminal, and probed the interrelationship of things within those spaces...

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: Circle of Light at Fisher Gate Point

Circle of Light celebrated the release of their new album, COL 6, at Fisher Gate Point to coincide with World Mental Health Day 2025...

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

Dance Review: Northern Ballet - Merlin at the Theatre Royal

If you have a thing for modern musical theatre and have never been to a ballet, this might just be your gateway drug.

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...