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In photos: Vona Vella at The Grove, with Jmaes and Modern Coven

Left Magpie: August 2025 The First Match

Julian McDougall is back with his thoughts on the opening game of the season (Notts County v Newport)...

Street photographer Charlie Valentine talks Nottingham: Urban Decline, her series currently displayed at New Art Exchange

When it comes to versatile photographers, Charlie Valentine certainly stands out in Notts, having made her name with grimy, analogue street photography, printmaking, and photography workshops. Currently, her series Nottingham: Urban Decline is featured at the ongoing Open exhibition at the New Art Exchange - she tells us all about this series, plus life as a photographer.

LeftLion's Latest Listens #27: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2025, our music team reviews new releases from Davoli & Jess Beer, Vona Vella, LYVIA, Dirt Bloom and Hallowed Men...

Festival review: Nottingham Chamber Music Festival – Tunnel Vision

The Nottingham Chamber Music Festival is an annual series of concerts put together by a team of dedicated volunteers, bringing classical music artists to some of our city’s most beautiful and historical spaces. For the closing concert of the 2025 edition, the festival worked with the Nottingham Park Residents Association to host string quartet, The Le Page Ensemble, in the stunning surroundings of the Park Tunnel. A special one-of-a-kind concert not to be missed, we went along to experience this cave-dwelling performance first-hand…

Theatre Interview : Laurie Owen, director of The Prince at the Lace Market Theatre

The Prince by Abigail Thorn is about to launch at the Lace Market Theatre. This ambitious show stars three trans women and merges Shakespeare with the modern world. LeftLion interviews the director, Laurie Owen, on the hows and whys...  

Theatre Interview: Ifeanyi Felukwu

A local production of 1984 is about to debut at the Nottingham Playhouse. Does a play from the 1940s still hold relevance for today's young people. Ifeanyi Felukwu, who plays Winston Smith, shares his views... 

Pride and prejudice: how Nottingham's disabled community got their voices heard

While some might see protest as disruption to everyday life, for others taking to the streets is one of the most conspicuous methods of getting voices heard. Civil rights, such as simple access to transport, are easily taken for granted by many, but the most marginalised groups in society have had to fight for their civil rights through civil disobedience. For Disability Pride month, CJ De Barra recounts how the Disabled community used high-profile demonstrations in Nottingham to ensure their rights were fairly given.

Interview : Film and Play Director Atticus Orsborn

He may be directing films and plays in New York now, but Atticus Orsborn grew up in Nottingham. Fiercely proud of his roots, he shares the journey with Left Lion...  

We speak to this year's eight Future Sound of Nottingham finalists

The Future Sound of Nottingham returns to the Rock City main stage this Sunday 6th July. Eight Nottingham artists, living their dream and playing the most iconic stage in the city... plus there are two slots on the Splendour Festival main stage up for grabs! We had a chinwag with the eight finalists so you can get to know them a little better. Read on to hear from No Cash Refunds, Emily Alice, Megs, Molly in the Metro, Louie Walsh, Benji Romeo, Archy & The Astronauts and Saffron Gray...

We chat to Set In Motion about what drives them, Splendour Festival, and their playlists...

Set in Motion are one of the Nottingham music scene’s most promising bands. Noted for catchy indie hooks, powerful songs and incredible live performances, over the last two years they’ve made a name for themselves as a guitar music powerhouse act. We caught up with vocalist and guitarist Alfie Wallace, guitarist Dillan Telford, bassist Niall Hopkins and drummer Joe Carnell - outside the Fox and Grapes - to discuss their imminent Splendour Festival set, their future plans and what they’re listening to at the minute...

In photos: Vee Adu at The Old Bus Depot, with SUNIQ and Rowan Holly

Gig review and interview: Loren Kramar supports Father John Misty at Rock City

We caught with up with American singer-songwriter Loren Kramar ahead of his Rock City show supporting the legendary Father John Misty...

Blue Peter stars, football tournaments, and immersive adventures: Gloworm Festival unveils its most expansive lineup yet

Gloworm Festival is one of the most well loved fixtures in Nottingham's summer calendar - a dedicated family event that each year welcomes 20,000 visitors to Thoresby Park, in the heart of Nottinghamshire. With their most jam-packed line-up yet recently unveiled, we've provided you with some highlights at this year's instalment. 

Theatre Interview: The Nottingham Drag Pageant Contestants

Meet the competitors in the Nottingham Drag Pageant 2025. Queens and kings slug it out in a feast of jaw-dropping costumes and laugh out loud humour. But there can only be one and who will win the coveted crown...?   

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.

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

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

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...

Classical Music Concert: Candlelight's Tribute to Fleetwood Mac at the National Justice Museum

In the pews of a Victorian courtroom, we hear the music of Fleetwood Mac like
never before...

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...

Artworks: multi-medium artist and video creator Tom Hackett

For this month's Artwork we turned multi-medium artist Tom Hackett who's work is being exhibited at the upcoming New Art Exchange Open Exhibition from Friday 30 May...

We chat to Davoli about music, life and Dot To Dot

Dot To Dot Festival is almost upon us! One of the hundreds of musicians performing at the day-long musical extravaganza is local artist Davoli. We spoke to him about his brand new EP, his inspirations, and what DTD means to him...

Crowned in Sound: Talking memorable interviews, The Chameleon and Billy Bootleggers with music journo Dom Gourlay

Growing up in Mansfield, Dom Gourlay didn’t realise he’d later become one of the country’s top music journalists. We grabbed a long overdue coffee with Dom, currently the Festivals and Live Reviews Editor for Under the Radar. 

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #10: Comedian Matt Forde on His Early Life In Notts, Kier Starmer, Spitting Image, Forest, Cancer and The End of An Era Tour

Originally from Lenton, Matt Forde is a comedian, TV and radio presenter, writer, impressionist and quite a lot more. He’s perhaps best known for his podcast The Political Party, but he's also a regular face on TV and currently on his End of An Era Tour...

War Horse: an interview with actor Damian Lynch

Damian Lynch is a British actor and voiceover artist, currently starring in War Horse at the Royal Concert Hall. Emma Hornsby spoke to Damian to get a glimpse behind the scenes of this momentous and memorable theatre production.