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From Pinot to Americano: ØKENDE’s new city centre location

West Bridgford born coffee shop and bakery ØKENDE is known for its cool, minimalist design and elegant pastries. Last month, this popular independent opened a second store on Broad Street, introducing a new day-to-night spot in Hockley.

Festival review: LeftLion at Y Not 2026

Putting down roots: the story of the Windrush Generation and St Ann's Allotments explored in a new book

Colin Haynes’ book, Caribbean Pioneer Gardeners, tells the story of men whose love for gardening gave them much more than callaloo and oxheart tomatoes. It shares the true story of a group of Windrush residents who turned the neglected, overgrown Hungerhill Gardens, or St Ann's Allotments, as they would become known, into a Caribbean-inspired culinary and horticultural haven.

MOIST: A Publishing Press with a Difference

Based at Primary in Lenton independent press MOIST is smaller than traditional publishing houses, but for both readers and authors, this smaller size can bring certain advantages. Georgia Hamblett went down to find out more...

Left Magpie: The 2026 Season Preview

Nottingham City of Literature's Big City Reads: meeting four authors involved

The Big City Reads campaign continues until 12 August to provide free books to young people across the city. With a mix of very different stories covering this year’s theme of identity, we asked four young writers to interview some of the selected authors about their work...

Left Brian: The 2026 Season Preview

The Classic Thriller Season Returns to Theatre Royal Nottingham

The Classic Thriller Season is a long-running annual summer repertory tradition at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, featuring live stage performances of comedy murder mysteries and psychological thrillers. It's back this month with three plays that will offer your annual quota of puzzles and adrenalin rushes...

Left Stag: The 2026 Season Preview

August sees the new football season begin for our three local league teams: Mansfield Town, Notts County and Nottingham Forest. Following a summer of World Cup action it’s back to the day-to-day and hopefully hydration breaks, interference from Donald Trump and middle of the night kick-offs will all be a thing of the past. Our regular fan columnists Josh, Julian and Gareth are all on the case to let you know what you can expect from their teams… 

Nottingham hyperpop artist EMiDORA on her brand new EP

Described as Nottingham's answer to Charli XCX, hyperpop sensation Emily Baldwin – AKA EMiDORA – has been quickly making a name for herself on the local circuit. Having just released her long-awaited debut EP, Haunted By The Outside, Emily sat down with us to discuss the creative journey to making the project. 

LeftLion's Latest Listens #49: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this 49th edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from Richard Snow, Emily Ashberry, Pillow Fort and CATHEDRA...

LeftLion Issue #198 August 2026

Our August 2026 issue features EMiDORA, burlesque artist Ruby D'Woo, Warp Miniatures, the new Nottingham league football scene, and lots more. 

The New Toolkit Behind Small Business Marketing In West Norfolk

The way small businesses market themselves in towns like King's Lynn has quietly transformed over the past few years. The hand-drawn poster in the window and the leaflet through the door still have their place, and always will, but the bulk of the work of attracting customers now happens on a screen. What has changed most is not where the marketing happens, which has been drifting online for a long time, but the tools that local traders are now using to produce it. Those tools have become dramatically more capable and far more affordable, and the effect on small businesses is real.

Jazz and archeological finds: Here's what's on in Nottingham this week: 27 July - 2 August

This week in Notts is, like usual, another great one. If you fancy a mix of live music (either jazz or emo, up to you) Peggy's Skylight and Rescue Rooms both have gigs waiting in the wings. But if you've got young ones to entertain then Lakeside Arts has you covered. Here's what's happening... 

Overheard in Notts: July 2026

This month you've been talking about bacon vodka, chakras and thrash metal...

Artists, Lovers, Outsiders: the new exhibition at Nottingham Castle

The latest exhibition over at Nottingham Castle tells the story of Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun, two Scottish artists, lovers, and outsiders, whose mark on mid-century Modernist art has largely been overlooked. Sophie Gargett caught up with curator and award-winning writer Damian Barr, whose fictional biographical novel The Two Roberts sheds light on a love story that was hidden for decades.

Notts Pride, immersive theatre shows and great sporting events: here's what's on in Nottingham this week: events 20 July - 26 July

This week in Notts is just as vibrant as the last. If you're still not ready to say goodbye to the summer festivals, Boho Festival might be your solution. Or maybe you're looking for a change of pace? Whether it's an immersive theatre show at People's Hall, sporting events to get your adrenaline pumping, live music and more, here's what Nottingham has to offer this week...

What's happening at Gloworm Festival 2026?

It's less than a month now until Thoresby Park is transformed into the ultimate children's wonderland for Nottinghamshire annual family festival: Gloworm. As ever, it's going to be an exciting one, with 20+ meet and greets, a packed main stage program, and more than 100 live shows, performances, workshops, and hands on experiences to discover and enjoy around the festival site. 

If you're considering taking your little one(s) along, and making some great summer memories, here's everything you can expect...

Nadia on… the new guidance on single-sex spaces

Labour MP for Nottingham East Nadia Whittome discusses the Government's latest guidance on single sex spaces

Splendour Festival's last hurrah, musicals, ballet and immersive art experiences: here's what's on in Notts this week: events 13 July - 19 July

This week is one for the books, including Splendour Festival celebrating their final weekend, Beyond Monet & Beyond Van Gogh, a convention for hit sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf, and events for theatre, music and ballet fans alike.

Another triumphant year for Gate To Southwell Festival

Dodging the heatwaves, we spent a couple of days on site at Gate To Southwell Festival. Pushing the envelope of folk, and with a collaboration with some of the most exciting Canadian musicians, it was easy to see why this local event is going stronger than ever...

Exhibition review: Drawn Through Time at Lakeside Arts

Nottingham's cultural landscape has quietly become one of the most exciting in the Midlands, with Lakeside Arts consistently bringing ambitious exhibitions to the city that challenge how audiences engage with contemporary art. Its latest exhibition, Drawn Through Time, is no exception. Housed within the Djanogly Gallery at the University of Nottingham, the exhibition takes what many might consider the simplest of artistic practices – drawing – and transforms it into something far richer: a way of navigating history, memory and imagination.

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #19: Selina Mosinski (AKA Charity Shop Sue) and Matt Chesney of Backlit Studios on Selina’s new Edinburgh Fringe show Puss in Boots: a Working Class Fairytale

This episode we are joined by Selina Mosinski (AKA Charity Shop Sue) and Matt Chesney of Backlit Studios to talk about Selina’s new Edinburgh Fringe show Puss in Boots: a Working Class Fairytale.

LeftLion's Latest Listens #48: Notts music we're currently spinning

This week, our music team reviews new releases from Ben McElroy, KID SPIRIT and E.R. Thorpe...

Forged by Nottingham: how artist Alicja Biała turned community stories into a new Maid Marian statue

Ahead of the unveiling of Maid Marian Way’s new statue, artist Alicja Biała talks to LeftLion about her creative process, community involvement and why representation of women in public spaces matters.