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Music Review: The Sound of Springsteen at the Nottingam Playhouse

If any further evidence was required to confirm the sheer commitment to worshipping at the church of The Boss, then look no further than the Playhouse on Saturday night...

Indie rock, surrealism, and charity football: Here's what's on in Nottingham, 23 -29 June

Whether you're a gig-goer, someone interested in experimental art, or just searching for something for your whole family to do, there'll be something for you in Nottingham this week.

LeftLion's Latest Listens #24: Notts music we're currently spinning

In the latest edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2025, our music team reviews new releases from Cappo, Dorothy Ella. GIRLBAND!, The Doctor's Orders Collective and We Are Sovereign...

Bhajis in Beeston: visiting Indian street food café SuRano

Julia Head, AKA Instagram’s The Nottingham Food Guide, takes us to Beeston’s plant-based Indian street food café SuRano.

Gig review: Shonen Knife at Rescue Rooms

It was a welcome return to Nottingham for Shonen Knife and their brand of punk rock / rock- and-roll rockabilly, with a coordinated cosmos of colour as always...

How Colwick design studio Future Makers wants to reinvent the plastics industry

Like it or not, our modern world is built on plastic - and whilst the long-term health and ecosystem impacts are still poorly understood, the early signs are pretty alarming. Tackling this issue is set to be a generations-long task, but pioneering Colwick-based design studio Future Makers are giving it a crack, turning waste plastic into useful, solid, creations that are built to last, whilst giving back. Founder and Director Tristan Hessing guides us through their manufacturing process, the education gap hampering creatives working with this abundant material, and why we need more young people joining and innovating in the plastics industry.

Concert Review: MIRABILÉ at St Peter’s Church, Ruddington

Mirabilé, a Nottingham based all-female vocal ensemble, perform at Ruddington.

Film Review: The Phoenician Scheme

We review The Phoenician Scheme, an offbeat infrastructural binge across the desert in Wes Anderson’s latest star-studded satire of empire, excess, and (possibly) redemption...

Competition: Win Tickets To Splendour Festival 2025

Splendour Festival is back on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20  July after a year's hiatus. The festival returns to Wollaton Park bigger than ever with dozens of well known acts and lots of upcoming talent on the line-up. And we have two pairs of tickets to give away...

Theatre Review: Hamlet - The Rest is Silence

A unique Notts community rework of the classic tragedy

Gig review: BBC Introducing East Midlands Showcase at Metronome

BBC Introducing returned to Nottingham's Metronome with a fresh showcase of local talent, expertly curated by East Midlands legend Dean Jackson. This edition featured SPLIT, Manye Fi, Harry Lyon and Drew Thomas...

Pick Six: Jackie P

Kemet FM DJ Jackie P is hosting the One World Acoustic Stage at Mansfield Carnival on Saturday 21 June. We asked her to choose half a dozen of her favourite things…

Comedy Review: Scummy Mummies – Hot Mess at the Nottingham Playhouse

The Scummy Mummies, Helen and Ellie, are back in town with their take on life for the 21st century mum.  And it's a lot saucier than you might think...

Setting the stage: catching up with the Nottingham Playhouse's artistic director Adam Penford

Over the last few years the Nottingham Playhouse has become one of the most buzzing regional theatres in the UK. Originally established in 1948, the venue has a long history of attracting quality actors like Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Judi Dench, Hugh Grant, Vicky McClure and Mark Gatiss to perform its stage. With a clutch of new awards and accolades over the last couple of years, we thought it high time to catch up with their artistic director Adam Penford…

Stage Interview: Rosie Hollingsworth from Sugar Theatre

The Playhouse's AMPLIFY SEASONS is an opportunity for new talent to break through. And breaking through this summer is Rosie Hollingsworth, playwright and founder of Sugar Theatre. But as Rosie shares below, the journey has been anything but sweet...

Author Elizabeth Lovatt on the history of switchboards in Nottingham's queer community

This month, the Five Leaves Bookshop and Notts Queer History Archive will host author Elizabeth Lovatt at Nottingham Central Library, where she will speak about her new book on the historical  importance of switchboards to Nottingham’s gay and lesbian community. Here Elizabeth tells us about this frequently overlooked corner of queer history. 

In photos: Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer at JT Soar, with Revenge of Calculon

We chat to filmmaker Naphat Boonyaprapa about his newest short Blossoming Hearts

I sat down in a Notts cafe with Naphat Boonyaprapa, a young writer, director, and filmmaker, based in Nottingham, to chat about his latest short film, Blossoming Hearts. 

These streets are ours: Sherwood's Haydn Road

Boasting independent bars and restaurants, plus a great selection of charity shops for the thrift-lovers among us, the Nottingham suburb of Sherwood has been a popular destination for a leisurely afternoon for many years now. But just off the high street, Haydn Road offers a surprising selection of local staples. In this new regular feature - celebrating lesser-known but much-loved areas of Nottinghamshire, Sophie Gargett meets the traders of Haydn Road and muses on the merits of local shopping.

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...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #23: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this week's edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, we review new releases from Lucy Crisp, Pretty Windows and Rhythm Eaters...

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #11 LaQuarn Lewis on BBC mini series What It Feels Like For A Girl, Television Workshop, and LGBTQ+ Notts

Notts born actor LaQuarn Lewis is one of the stars of a new BBC mini-series, What It Feels Like For A Girl, which tells the story of Byron, a Queer teen who is desperate to escape the confines of Hucknall. We caught up with LaQuarn on the podcast to chat about the show, his time at Television Workshop and growing up Queer in Notts...

The Official LeftLion Guide To 2025 Festival Season

Can you hear that? It’s finally in the air – instruments reverberating across wide open fields, the chimes of communities singing and laughing together, the sound of footsteps as friends stumble back to their tents or homes, ready to do it all over again the next day, or the following weekend. That’s right, the 2025 summer festival season is finally here, and with the return of Splendour Festival right here in Nottingham, it’s shaping up to be a big one!

To give you the lowdown, here’s our ultimate guide to the best local festivals taking place in the city of Nottingham and the surrounding areas over the next few months…

Gig review: Little Simz at The Level

It’s not every day that genuine rap royalty drops into town. However, with highly anticipated new album Lotus dropping this Friday, the mighty Little Simz rolled into The Level for a Rough Trade outstore show to promote the new project. Armed with a vault of bangers she’s been hoarding, we headed over to The Level for this must-attend show with one of the greatest artists and rappers in the world today…

Heart to Heart: we catch up with electronica duo Jadu Heart before their show at Rescue Rooms

Taking the form of a spearhead duo, comprising of Alex Headford and Diva Jeffrey with a supporting band, Jadu Heart are a hidden gem of the UK music landscape. Mixing dance and electronica influences with shoegaze and grunge elements, they are a truly unique band, and a complete creative force. Their latest release, the incredible full-length album Post Heaven, is a true testament to their creativity and talent: a raw, brutal, beautiful and honest record that was originally designed as the duo’s “Hail Mary.”

As they prepare to embark on a huge UK headline tour, playing Rescue Rooms on 9 June, we caught up with them to talk about their new album, their lives and the tours…