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Gig review and interview: Calva Louise speak our language at The Bodega

The feast is far from over: a band fluent in electronica rock and fuzzy grunge, before their Rough Trade Nottingham gig, we sat down with Jess Allanic, Alizon Taho, and Ben Parker of Calva Louise to discover what it really means to be an oportunista...

Burrata, focaccia, sangria - oh my! Explore the Notts food scene with this tasty new tour

A new treat for cuisine connoisseurs in town is EAT: Nottingham Food Tours. Our two intrepid Food Editors, Julia and Lucy, take a wander through the streets of Nottingham to sample some of the best food the city has to offer - and along the way, they uncover historic tales that bring Nottingham’s past to life.

Pick Six: writer, podcaster and resident drag artist at Gladrags, Nana Arthole

For this month’s Pick Six, we turned to writer, entertainer, and all round creative type, the fabulous Nana Arthole.

Gig review: Sting and Nile Rodgers at Forest Live

The Forest Live concert series at Sherwood Pines – our area's largest public woodland, and part of Nottingham's back garden – has become a firm favourite on the local music festival scene. LeftLion went down to the woods and witnessed two legendary names, Nile Rodgers & CHIC and Sting, in action...

We speak to The Pastel Project about safety, healthcare, education, and making Nottingham a Trans Sanctuary City

Trans identities have become a huge news topic in recent years. Despite only 0.5% of the population reporting their gender identity and sex to be different than when registered at birth*, the media often leads us to believe that trans people pose a risk to the wider society, while trans people are rarely given a voice.

To learn more from the community themselves, we put some questions to Nottingham organisation The Pastel Project, to hear how they are looking to make Nottingham a Trans Sanctuary City, and understand their perspective on topics such as safety, law-making, healthcare, and education.

*respondents in the 2021 UK census

Concert Review: Sir Mark Elder's Farewell Concert

The Hallé marks the end of Sir Mark Elder's glittering career with a farewell concert at the Royal Concert Hall...

Dig it! We speak to York Archaeology about community digs at Wollaton Hall

Every year since 2019, a motley crew of students and local history enthusiasts has descended upon Wollaton Hall for a series of archaeological training excavations. They can be easily spotted about the grounds: a happy-looking crowd clad in mud stained high-vis, gleefully digging away or enthusiastically explaining themselves to curious park-patrons. These digs are run by Laura Parker and Tristan Cousins, community archaeologists from York Archaeology, who I met to talk about the project…

Sneinton Community Festival is 20!

Sneinton Community Festival is a free family festival, this year taking place from the 6 to 14 July, for the people of Sneinton and beyond. This year’s theme ‘There’s no place like home’ celebrates the diversity, different cultures and ways of being in the area. Organiser Kathryn Cooper takes a look at the history of the festival and what is coming up this year.

Pick Six: Tom Ainsley from Neon Raptor Brewing Company

For this month’s Pick Six we turn to Tom Ainsley of Neon Raptor Brewing Company in Sneinton Market…

We Speak to Indie Musician Electronic Cherry Seraph Ahead of Her Bodega Gig

Female producer and queer artist Cherry Seraph's sonic evolution over the years is displayed throughout her discography. She released her debut EP mid-pandemic, and since then explores an ethereal genre bending sound. We caught up with Cherry ahead of her gig at The Bodega on 11 July.

Preview: Live At The Hall at Wollaton Hall

Get ready for an epic night of music at Wollaton Hall on Friday 30 August, as "Live at the Hall" brings together an all-star lineup featuring Razorlight, Feeder, The Pigeon Detectives, The Sherlocks and more...

Gig review: Girls Aloud at Motorpoint Arena

After 11 years off the stage, the Girls Aloud show is back. As the girls headed towards the end of their reunion tour, the show visited Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena, offering a heartfelt tribute to their late band mate, Sarah Harding, and a fun, upbeat return to noughties girl group goodness...

Our June cover artist Zarina Teli talks about her work and inspirations

Our June cover artist Zarina Teli talks about her work and inspirations

We speak to KAP aka Katie Anderson Price, winner of the Future Sound of Nottingham award

We caught up with Katie Anderson-Price, better known as KAP, winner of this year’s Future Sound of Nottingham competition and the opening act at Rock City for the 2024 Dot To Dot festival.

Review: The sun shines on Radfest Community Festival 2024

As I park up for Radfest 2024 the clouds suddenly part and the sun shines brightly, writes Bassey who's reminded of the similar weather at Radfest last year and already feels the day will be a success...

Alchemilla and Mollis founder Alex Bond talks about bringing Michelin star food to Nottingham

What do fried chicken and fine dining have in common? More than you might think if you know where to look. From the Michelin-star menus of Alchemilla to a Mollis takeover of the kitchens at Saltbox bar, Alex Bond is on a mission to elevate the Nottingham dining scene. We took a trip down to Derby Road for a chat with the star chef. 

We speak to University of Law Nottingham students about their experience of offering free legal advice to the community

Nottingham’s blessed with world-renowned universities, but there’s one you might not know about - The University of Law (ULaw). Opening their Nottingham city campus in 2019, they offer law-specific courses for those looking to get into the profession. ULaw does plenty for the wider Notts community too, by offering pro bono (without charge) services, where students can get hands-on experience whilst being supported by practising lawyers. We paid a visit to find out more from some of the law students hoping to make a difference in the world…

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 Craig Chettle, CEO of Nottingham’s Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies which turns thirty this year

Nottingham’s Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies turns thirty this year. Over that time it has grown from a college course with ten students to an institution with 3000 students and 400 staff, currently spreading its wings into London. We put some questions to their CEO and founder Craig Chettle about his journey over the last three decades…

Gig review: Pet Shop Boys at Motorpoint Arena

Longtime and new fans of the iconic English synth-pop duo were recently treated to a two-hour concert at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena. LeftLion's Rachel Imms immersed herself in the experience...

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.

A Decade on Screen: 10 great moments from Notts TV

With local journalism becoming an endangered species in recent years, Nottingham is very lucky to have Notts TV. Along with training our students to become broadcasters and journalists, the company has made their mark over the years in both modest and mighty ways. Here’s some of their best moments, according to Channel Manager Chris Breese…

Five Leaves Opens Submissions for Diverse Debut Poets

Throughout June, Five Leaves Publications is accepting submissions for debut poetry pamphlets, particularly from under-represented or marginalised communities...could it be you?

Gig review: Thirty Seconds to Mars at Motorpoint Arena

Bringing that misty-eyed quality of Hollywood to the Motorpoint Arena, LeftLion witnessed Thirty Seconds To Mars reaching for the stars...

LeftLion's Guide to Summer Festivals 2024

The sun is out, summer is here, which can only mean one thing – it’s officially festival season! And while not everyone is lucky enough to win the Worthy Farm lottery by getting tickets to Glastonbury, the good news is there are plenty of incredible events happening right on our doorstep. To give you the lowdown, here’s our ultimate guide to the best local festivals taking place in Nottingham and the surrounding areas over the next few months…