Site search

Class of 2026: six local music acts set to take Notts by storm in 2026

2025 in Notts music was mostly defined by awards. Rave-metal sister duo ALT BLK ERA won a MOBO award, rapper Jayahadadream won two Youth Music Awards including the Rising Star prize – and beloved venue The Bodega was crowned Grassroots Champion at the LIVE Awards.

Locally, we also saw the return of Splendour Festival with the Future Sound of Nottingham winners Saffron Gray and Archie & The Astronauts opening the festival main stage. This got us thinking – who are the next breakout stars from Nottingham and who can we expect to shine in the year ahead? After much deliberation, here’s six artists we expect to have a big 2026…

Tusk 'til dawn: Jim Baron of Crazy P fame on his new musical project White Elephant

Best known as one of the founders of Notts electronic music titans Crazy P, Jim Baron (aka Ron Basejam) is a man with his fingers in several musical pies. This month sees the release of World Elephant Day, the first album from White Elephant – a collaborative project with Ben Smith (of Smith & Mudd fame) and fellow Crazy P member Chris Todd. In a wide-ranging catchup, Jim takes us from the halcyon days of nineties Notts to his solo work, and how The Sopranos played a role in the story of Crazy P… 

Live music, light shows, and classic cinema: Here's what's on in Nottingham this week, 2 - 8 February

From legendary artists and independent musicians, to cinema and light installations, this week brings a wide assortment of events to the Notts creative scene. Here are our picks of this week...

From Firefly club nights to Light Night 2026: Architecture Social Club on returning to Notts

Through February 6 and 7, Old Market Square will look a little bit different as it hosts the centrepiece of this year’s Light Night: Parallels, an installation built by London studio Architecture Social Club. The project is particularly close to the heart of two studio members – Design/Project Manager Andrew Walker – who’s a Notts native – and founder Satyajit Das – who in the early 2000s made his name in Notts music when he launched mythic techno club night, Firefly. They tell us more about the installation which marks a grand return… 

LeftLion's Latest Listens #38: Notts music we're currently spinning

With this year off to a great start for new music, in this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2026, our music team reviews releases from Divorce feat. Marcus Mumford, Blackadder, Bloodworm and Make Strangers...

The Thompsons talk parking restrictions, meditation and their hope for 2026

For our new year's convo with Nottingham's most opinionated grocers, we talked about wellness tips, new Sherwood parking restrictions, and their hopes for 2026... 

LeftLion's Latest Listens #37: Notts music we're spinning in 2026

In this, the first edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2026, our music team reviews new releases from Daudi Matsiko, Ruby Aeron, ktlyle, LYVIA and Verbal Warning...

Fine Fat Funk: Fat Digester talk thirty years of making music ahead of Beat the Streets

Not many Nottingham-based bands and acts can boast a thirty-year longevity, but Fat Digester certainly can. The eclectic, cool and funky collective have been making audiences move and groove in awe since the 90s, and have no intention of stopping or slowing anytime soon. We had a chat with frontman Paul 'Ned' Needham all about the band’s approaches, stage shows and very exciting future plans!

Ay up me duck, best gigs, and The Park Estate: Talkin' with the Thompsons

Nottingham's most opinionated greengrocers on their best gigs of the year, The Park Estate and the origins of 'ay up me duck'

The LeftLion music awards: what we loved in 2025

From thriving new venues to an abundance of local talent gaining national exposure, 2025 proved that our city is one of the best in the country for breeding and platforming exceptional musical talent. With this in mind, we thought we’d celebrate with some end-of-year awards – championing the best local releases and gigs to happen this year in Nottingham. Voted for by our music team, here’s what stood out in the Notts music world in 2025…

Early Christmas parties and dance music at The Model: Here's what's on in Notts this week, Mon 1 - Sun 7 December

December 2025 starts with a bang in Nottingham, as a host of occasions from the festive, to the musical, to the artistic, take place... 

LeftLion's Latest Listens #36: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2025, our music team reviews new releases from Marseille, Kelsey and The Embers, Richard Snow and ALT BLK ERA...

Classical Music Review: The Aurora Orchestra at the Royal Concert Hall

The Aurora Orchestra returned to Nottingham with four outstanding but contrasting classics. They also gave a demonstration of their unique performance style...  

Gig review: Baxter Dury at Rock City

Baxter Dury returns to the East Midlands just as sharp, as he enters his dance-pop era. The last time we saw him in Nottingham was hitting supporting duties for Primal Scream back in April. Now, with his ninth studio album in tow, Dury gets to do it all again. But this time as the leading man...

Local band Hurtsfall talk creative inspirations and the goth scene

With a darkly romantic sound and alluring stage presence, Hurtsfall have made their name as one of Nottingham’s best goth bands in recent years. We spoke to frontman Sam Harrison Emm to hear about the local goth scene, personal style and the literary and film inspirations behind their music…

Run raves, poetry celebrations, the return of some loved Notts musicians and a soulful Sunday: Here's what's on in Notts this week 17 - 23 November 2025

This week, kill two birds with one stone and rave whilst you run, head to the return of Notts bands Unknown Era and Captain Dangerous, delve into some poetry, or enjoy a soulful Sunday. Here's our top picks...

Gig review: SPRINTS at Rock City, with Dog Race

With the memory of their standout Bodega show still fresh in our minds, there was no way we were going to miss SPRINTS' return to Nottingham. This time, Rock City was the venue for a milestone performance which defined the absolute best of the outspoken, anarchic, post-punk spirit...

Classical Music Review: The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra with guest conductor Elena Schwartz at the Royal Concert Hall

Turmoil, transcendence and orchestral grandeur are the order of the day in the BBC Philharmonic’s latest Nottingham appearance... 

French post-punk, brew festivals, Disney on Ice and festive ballet: here's what's on in Notts this week 10-15 November 2025

This week, get yourself down to the Craft Brew Festival, enjoy some elegant post-punk covers, welcome Christmas in early with a ballet of A Christmas Carol, or skate down to Disney on Ice. Here are our top picks of the week....

Gig review: Halina Rice at Rescue Rooms

As electronic music matures further past the clubs, the desire of artists to deconstruct and subvert the norms that have developed over the decades grows. As sub-genres and tropes spawn like branches on an ever growing tree, musicians stand ready to atomise and rearrange those new conventions, manipulating them, pushing them toward the furthest boundaries, seeing how far those rules will stretch into the left field. Halina Rice is one such musician...

Nouvelle Vague's Marc Collins and Mélanie Pain talk about the band's beginnings ahead of the Metronome show

With twenty years of covering some of the most seminal post-punk and new wave tracks of all time, French band Nouvelle Vague bring their elegant live performance to Metronome next Wednesday. We sat down to speak to producer Marc Collins and singer Mélanie Pain to discover how the band began and what inspired their sound...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #35: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2025, our music team reviews new releases from Kai-Otee, LYVIA, Bored Marsh, Fools & Sages, Willow Bay and Revenge of Calculon...

Hart of the Wood: the film installations at Newstead Abbey inspired by forest folklore

With its elegant ruins, serene rolling gardens and rich literary history, Newstead Abbey already makes for an atmospheric autumnal wander, but currently, another escape awaits within its historic landscape. Dotted within the grounds, the Hart of the Wood project shares a series of intriguing 16mm films exploring the seasons, our relationship with folklore and the land. We spoke to Notts filmmaker Benjamin Wigley to hear about the artistry and story behind these curious hand-powered moving pictures…

Game on: two Nottingham Panthers talk the upcoming ice hockey season

Luca Sheldon and Jordan Kelsall are the two local players on the 25/26 Nottingham Panthers roster. We sat down with them to explore what it means to wear the Panthers jersey, as Nottingham lads, and how they’re feeling about the 2025/26 campaign.

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.