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Review: Karma Weekender at Saltbox (Friday)

Music festivals don’t have to be stuck in a muddy festival to have connotations of carnage and chaos. This equally applies to all day inner-city ones, as the Karma Weekender at Saltbox proved. Here's what happened on the first day...

Nottingham’s 80s fashion scene in the spotlight at Bonington Gallery

Following the launch night of a new exhibition ‘Nottingham Subcultural Fashion in the 1980s’ which will be at the Bonington Gallery until Saturday 10 May, Fashion Editor Addie Kenogbon-Harley, takes a walk down memory lane of 1980s Nottingham, with exhibition co-curators Tom Godfrey, and Dr Katherine Townsend. 

Interview : Sam Lupton and Tom Major the stars of Only Fools and Horses at the Royal Concert Hall

Only Fools and Horses has to be one of the UK's most popular sitcoms ever. And now the musical revamp is coming to Nottingham. Leftlion chats with Sam Lupton and Tom Major as they become the new Del Boy and Rodney... 

Film Review: One of Them Days

Keke Palmer and SZA are the comical duo we didn’t know we needed. Join us as we review this jam-packed tragicomedy… 

Spring in Your Step: Nottingham’s Best Walks for the Season

Spring's here, though in Nottingham that often means a stand-off between sunshine and drizzle. The sky still carries the pale reluctance of winter. The trees, bare-boned and brittle through the winter months, begin their slow green eruption. But when the daffodils are up and the air smells of wet earth and optimism, there’s no better excuse to lace up your trainers and embrace the outdoors. Nottingham, rich in both greenery and stories, has plenty of spots worth wandering. Here’s where to go when you fancy stretching your legs without running into the masses.

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.

As Motorpoint Arena celebrates its 25th birthday, we look through the stories from 25 of their seminal gigs

From Beyonce to Bieber and Dolly Parton to the Dalai Lama, Nottingham Motorpoint Arena has brought some of the world’s most famous people into our city. As the Arena celebrates its 25th birthday, we look through the stories from 25 of their seminal gigs…

Christie Classics, Castle Beer Festival and the Netball Super League: Here's what's on this week in Nottingham 31 March - 6 April 2025

Whether your idea of a good time is brushing up on your Orwell and Christie in the theatre, or enjoying live music and a drink in the sun, there's plenty going on in Nottingham for you this week... 

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.

The Thompsons on The Marcus Garvey Centre, International Women's Day and Wild Swimming

Here's what the Thompsons had to say about The Marcus Garvey Centre, International Women's Day and wild swimming. 

Undefeated: Frank Turner talks about his creative processes and affiliation with Nottingham ahead of his Rock City show

There are many ways to describe musician Frank Turner: a songwriting master, a touring machine, a festival season staple. Now back with his latest album, Undefeated, he embarks on the UK leg of his tour this month, with a much-anticipated, sold-out stop at the legendary Rock City. We caught up with him to discuss Undefeated, his affiliation with Nottingham, his creative processes and where he finds his inspirations…

Gig review: ROB.GREEN at Saltbox

We caught Rob Green on the grand opening night of his Jungle Child UK tour. A jaw-dropping show featuring new music, soulful tunes and moving poetry, all the while praising the love for his hometown, Rob continues to prove he is a true Notts showman not to be missed live... 

We chat with Annie Dressner about touring, writing - and speaking up

Annie Dressner’s latest single, For The Thrill Of It, was released in February. Influenced by her experiences, it addresses misogyny and inappropriate behaviour towards women in the music industry. The New Yorker has been based in Cambridge for the last 13 years after meeting her partner at an open mic night. She recently made a stop in Nottingham as part of a tour supporting Danny & The Champions of The World...

Film Review: Black Bag

Your brief if you choose to read it: Join us as we review the new spy thriller with Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett...

‘Flour everywhere’ and a ‘life-changing’ écliar? We spoke to the founders of Mapperley's Coosh Bakery, Rachel and Tom Egan.

Based in the heart of Mapperley, Coosh Bakery serves up freshly baked artisan delights to the carb loving masses. From perfectly flaky pastries to show-stopping sourdough loaves, each creation is crafted with love and the finest ingredients. We caught up with the co-founders, couple Rachel and Tom Egan, to find out how the project went from their kitchen to a thriving bricks-and-mortar bakery, now a neighbourhood favourite.

Sale of Broad Marsh Site Approved At City Council’s Executive Board

Nottingham City Council has approved a sale of the Broad Marsh site to a buyer with a track record of major development. It is hoped the sale will create  1000+ new homes and up to 20,000 square metres of retail, office and community spaces...

Ay-Up Market returns to the Old Market Square from Friday 28 March to Sunday 30 March

Bringing communities together, the popular Ay-Up Market returns to Nottingham city centre bigger and better than ever this year, with stalls from local businesses, food, drinks, workshops, music and entertainment for your little ones...

Comedy Review: Lou Sanders in No Kissing in the Bingo Hall at the Nottingham Playhouse

Star of Dancing On Ice, a champion of Taskmaster and regular on QI, Lou Sanders brings her unique comedy style to the Nottingham Playhouse...

Short Stack From All Angles: We Hear About The Short Film Festival

Last week, we attended Short Stack, the short film festival hosted at Broadway Cinema. For a Sunday evening, the event had a buzzing atmosphere and packed attendance. After it was over, we caught up with the festival’s director, one of the featured filmmakers, and an artist whose music was shown on the big screen…

LeftLion's Latest Listens #18: Notts music we're currently spinning

In our latest edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews a selection of recent new releases. This time it's the turn of ROB.GREEN, Dead Mint, Drew Thomas, Sam Oakley and Stuart Pearce...

E-scooters and e-bikes - what do Nottingham people actually think?

Lauren Baker is a Postgraduate Researcher Nottingham Trent University looking at all things 'micromobility' (e-scooters and e-bikes). Here she discusses the impacts, and benefits, they have on the local community and asks for your input to feed into the latest research...

"The power is with the people": standing up to knife violence in Old Market Square

After three tragic spates of knife violence rocked Nottingham, and were subsequently highly publicised, local campaigners organised a demonstration in Old Market Square to draw attention to the underlying, community problems that cause it. LeftLion went down to report...

Market economy: could stallholder markets revive independent retail in Notts?

The decline of the high street and independent retail is an issue that weighs heavily on the UK, as grassroots traders often lose money and shut shop just as quickly as they open for business.

However, with recent research, and examples available here in Nottingham, there’s a case to be made for stallholder markets as a saviour of independent businesses, providing that reliable sense of community and authenticity in shopping that so many of us look for today. Assistant Editor Caradoc Gayer takes a look at Nottingham’s history of markets, and how it could serve as an example for today.

Blue therapy: we learn about wild swimming with Whole Health at Colwick Park

In recent years the mental and physical health benefits of immersion in water have gained lots of attention across the country. Since 2019 wild-swimming group Whole Health have sought to disseminate those benefits to as many people as possible, leading open-water swimming and sauna sessions at Colwick Park. Frances Danylec visited West Lake to meet founders Cat and Wales.

Competition: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial at the Royal Concert Hall

One of the most iconic movies of the 1980s is coming to the Royal Concert Hall big screen, accompanied by a magnificent live orchestra. We have two pairs of tickets to give away…