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Gig review: Witches Mortuary at the Mist Rolling Inn

Witches Mortuary is a band that may be unknown to a majority of the music listening public, but their story is absolutely awe-inspiring. Forming in July 2025, this group of young, hungry musicians have made a name for themselves in the local scene with an album, EP, and this concert, their first, at the Mist Rolling Inn. Their flavour of stoner doom metal has really caught the attention of the Nottingham metal scene, and their talent has translated to relative popularity as they have caught traction all over the internet...

Comedy, music festivals and local talent: Here's what's on this week in Nottingham 18 -24 May

 This week in Notts! Enjoy local theatre performances and live comedy, or head to Dot to Dot music festival and dance the night away in various venues across Nottingham. Here's our top picks...

Left Stag: May 2026 - The Future Is Amber

Was this season the best ever for Mansfield Town FC? Our columnist Joshua Osoro Pickering things it's certainly up there...

Theatre Review: Papillons at Lakeside Arts

Papillons: A beautiful invitation, fully realised...

How UK Indie Magazines Are Rebuilding Community After Social Media Burnout

Independent magazines never set out to become refuges. They simply carried on being themselves. Something shifted around 2022. Not dramatically — more like a slow leak. Readers, writers and creatives across the UK began quietly stepping away from their feeds, worn down by the noise, the algorithms, and the performative sense of connection that social media had long marketed as community. What they discovered instead surprised even the people offering it: print. Independent magazines never set out to become refuges. They simply carried on being themselves.

The Boy with the Leg named Brian: cartoonist Pete McKee's new show coming to Notts

Later this month Sheffield-based cartoonist and painter Pete McKee brings his exhibition The Boy With A Leg Named Brian to Metronome, along with an evening of music from his northern‑tinged comedy ukulele band, The Everly Pregnant Brothers. We had a chat with Pete to find out what to expect...

Theatre review: Take Flight at Lakeside Arts is an aerial treat for parents and babies

Following a mother and baby bird through the early stages of parenthood, Take Flight by local theatre company Rebel Sparks came to Lakeside Arts this weekend, uplifting early years theatre to new heights. Izzy and Bobby Bradley went down to check it out...

Nottsword May 2026 Answers

Did you get the answers right in this month's Nottsword? Have a look and see...

How Sneinton's Stonebridge City Farm connects the local community

Stonebridge City Farm is Nottingham’s only urban farm, located just around the corner from Sneinton Market. Home to piglets, goats, sheep, cows, turtles, and more, it’s also a rich community hub which welcomes 160 volunteers a week and hosts an impressive array of events. There’s also been recent news about an uncertain financial future for the farm – recently established CEO Rick Harrington tells us more, and reflects on what makes this space special.

Buy: Three Left Lions 2026 World Cup T-shirt

Rep Nottingham while you watch the World Cup 2026! Our iconic three left lion’s t-shirts are back this summer, with a new range of colours and sizes...

We meet battle victors Cherry Stone

When indie five-piece Cherry Stone stepped on to the stage at Metronome for the 2026 edition of the Ultimate Battle Of The Bands contest, they were hoping to do well – but winning following a unanimous judges’ decision proved to be a euphoric and surreal moment. We caught up with the band as they prepared for their next episode(s)...

Art works: PRF by Iulia Matei

For this month’s artworks, illustrator and regular LeftLion contributor Iulia Matei shares the concept behind her new graphic novel PRF (Punk Rock Fairies) and why we need independent art now more than ever.

What to expect from Green Hustle festival 2026

After five joyous, community-celebrating and grassroots action-galvanising Green Hustle Festivals, the team behind the event are this month putting on the most expansive and exploratory edition yet. With the theme of ‘Sow Good’, Green Hustle CIC Co-Director and LeftLion Environment Editor Adam Pickering guides us through how the crew hopes to seed a sustainable and thriving Notts through creativity, inclusion and inspiration.

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #17: Crazy P’s Jim Baron on international tours and festivals, soundtracking The Sopranos and his new venture White Elephant

This episode we are joined by Jim Baron from Crazy P who talks about his career in music, starting a band in Notts that became internationally renown, soundtracking for film and TV and his new venture White Elephant...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #44: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2026, our music team reviews new releases from Bloodworm, No Peeling, People Laughing, Cathedra and Paytron Saint & Emzae…

Take Flight: Ria Ashcroft tells us about her circus theatre show for 0-2 year olds which comes to Lakeside Arts this weekend...

Blending theatre and aerial silks, Take Flight is a multi-sensory, interactive show from local theatre company Rebel Sparks. Coming to Lakeside Arts this weekend, we sat down for a chat with co-artistic director Ria Ashcroft from Circus Hub to hear more about this unique form of children's entertainment...

Processing the past: illustrator Amy Bunting on her children's book about dementia

A recent exhibition at Hucknall Library showcased the nine year artistic process behind My Granny Is Changing – a children’s picture book dealing with dementia, created by artist and graphic designer Amy Bunting. Based on Amy’s own experience of navigating her gran Olive’s dementia, we talk to Amy about her creative process and how her story could help families talk more openly about dementia with young children.

Competition: Win A Family Pass for Gloworm Festival 2026

We’ve teamed up with Gloworm Festival to give two lucky familes a truly magical adventure at Gloworm Festival, taking place at Thoresby Park this summer...

Preview: Inside Papillons' Radical Approach to Openness at Lakeside Arts

Papillons, coming soon to Lakeside Arts, is a collaboration between music makers Manchester Collective and the dance-theatre company Thick & Tight. Leftlion interviews the artists for an insight into what is billed as 'a performance like no other'...

Theatre Review: Small Island at Nottingham Playhouse

A play that focuses on the harsh realities of postwar Britain for the Windrush generation and examines the consequences of empire...

14 great music festivals in and around Nottingham for 2026

You can feel it starting... The evenings are lighter and the first warm weekends spark everybody into optimism, and suddenly someone shares a line-up in a group chat and writes, ‘We have to go!’

Across Nottinghamshire and the wider east midlands, 2026 is shaping up to be another packed one. Big-name headliners, grassroots weekends, city takeovers and quieter escapes all sit side-by-side. If you want to start planning your festival season soon, here are some suggestions. 

LeftLion Issue #195 May 2026

Featuring Green Hustle, Notts festivals, ALT BLK ERA, Breakin' Convention festival, Red Sea FC, cinema events by Will Bailey, and plenty more... 

Book Review: The History Boys Part II by David Marples

Gareth Watts takes a leaf through a new book by Dave Marples' new book about more great goals seen at the World Famous City Ground...

Overheard in Notts: April 2026

This month you've been on about ancient clowns, hunting bison and dogs in pools...

Jazz, indie gigs and rock legends: Here's what's on this week 27 April - 3 May

This week in Notts! Enjoy the return of The Charlatans, The Clare Teal 5, tiny gigs, and lots more. Here's our top picks...