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Poetry Festival, indie music and Shakespeare: Here's whats on in Nottingham 9 - 15 June 2025

There's loads of events happening this week in Notts. We have the start of the Poetry festival, a re-invention of Hamlet, a indie music market and a live podcast event from Scummy Mummies...

Gig review: The Get Up Kids at Rescue Rooms

The Get Up Kids graced Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms in a flurry of guitars and emotions on Wednesday evening. The room was full to the brim with long term fans, and the air buzzed with excitement...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #23: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this week's edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, we review new releases from Lucy Crisp, Pretty Windows and Rhythm Eaters...

Gig review: Penfriend at Rough Trade

Laura Kidd, aka Penfriend, returned to the stage for the first time in several years, finding an appreciative audience at Rough Trade. What followed was a very special night...

Classical Music Review: The Hallé with Kahchun Wong at the Royal Concert Hall

With Sir Mark Elder stepping down from the conductor's podium, the music world has been buzzing with who would be the new frontman at Hallé. Well, the answer is here in the shape of Kahchun Wong. So how does he shape up?  

The Official LeftLion Guide To 2025 Festival Season

Can you hear that? It’s finally in the air – instruments reverberating across wide open fields, the chimes of communities singing and laughing together, the sound of footsteps as friends stumble back to their tents or homes, ready to do it all over again the next day, or the following weekend. That’s right, the 2025 summer festival season is finally here, and with the return of Splendour Festival right here in Nottingham, it’s shaping up to be a big one!

To give you the lowdown, here’s our ultimate guide to the best local festivals taking place in the city of Nottingham and the surrounding areas over the next few months…

Gig review: Little Simz at The Level

It’s not every day that genuine rap royalty drops into town. However, with highly anticipated new album Lotus dropping this Friday, the mighty Little Simz rolled into The Level for a Rough Trade outstore show to promote the new project. Armed with a vault of bangers she’s been hoarding, we headed over to The Level for this must-attend show with one of the greatest artists and rappers in the world today…

In photos: MJ Lenderman at Rock City, with Trace Mountains

Locating Lawrence: June 1925

Lawrence never felt ‘less literary’ than when he was milking his cow...

Restaurant week, comic con, body positive art and Japanese pop-punk: Here's what's on in Nottingham 2 - 8 June 2025

There's a great mix of stuff happening this week in Notts - we've got Japanese pop-punk from Shonen Knife, Sneinton Avenues Vegan Market, Comic-con, Restaurant week and some inspiring exhibitions. Here's our top picks...

LeftLion Issue #184 June 2025

This month featuring our guide to local summer music festivals, Nottingham Poetry Festival, actor LaQuarn Lewis on BBC's What It Feels Like For A Girl, the Nottingham Attacks Two Years On, Nottingham Playhouse's Adam Penford, Nottingham Craft Beer Festival, the Lenton Centre, Future Makers and more...

Community, culture and the music at The Concert Hall: here's what's on events this week in Nottingham 26 May- 1 June

This week in Notts, cultural vibrations ring from the arrow of Robin Hood! 

Gig review: Sunday (1994) at The Bodega

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...

Nottingham Restaurant Week Returns from 2-8 June 2025

Nottingham’s vibrant food scene is set to sizzle once again as Nottingham Restaurant Week makes its much-anticipated return offering deals and discounts in over 50 establishments...

Gig review: Supergrass at Rock City

There were no bands quite like Supergrass, in 1995. At least, not our writer's hazy recollection. They stood out; slightly apart from their contemporaries. Off to the side seemingly having just that little bit more fun than anyone else. On the evidence of this riotous, rollocking show at Rock City, the same is just as true in 2025...

Gig review: Bryan Adams at Motorpoint Arena

With new songs under his belt, and a vast back catalogue of hits, Bryan Adams has come a long way since his 90s Wembley Stadium heyday. We headed to Motorpoint Arena to find out if the Canadian rocker is still on form...

We catch up with three city centre restaurants ahead of Nottingham Restaurant Week in June

Nottingham Restaurant Week is set to take place across the city from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 June. Organised by It’s in Nottingham, it’s a chance for you to access exclusive discounts and try out some new flavours from the city’s vibrant food scene. To mark the occasion, we caught up with representatives of three popular dining spots involved: Antonio Oriente from Pizzamisu, Amita Sawhney from MemSaab and Terry Hayfield from Fellows, Morton & Clayton.

LeftLion's Latest Listens #22: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from Blackadder, Mollie Ralph and Set In Motion...

Gig review: Hachiku at The Grove, with Lucy Crisp and Emzae

Following its win at the Duckies last week, we headed to The Grove to catch two local artists - and one from very far away…

Gig review: Moonlit at Rough Trade

Recent winners (for good reason!) of the Ultimate Battle of the Bands, Moonlit, headlined Rough Trade Nottingham alongside fellow NTU artists Skunk and Emily Sanders…

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. 

Gig review: The Waterboys at Rock City

To celebrate the release of Life, Death and Dennis Hopper - a concept album celebrating the film pioneer the project is named after - The Waterboys have embarked on an impressive 32-date tour across the UK. Naturally, LeftLion couldn’t miss their visit to Nottingham...

Gig review: The Amazons at Rough Trade

The sun is out, the weather is warm, and Nottingham's Rough Trade is buzzing with energy as the dance floor fills with eager gig-goers, all gathering to see The Amazons. Now two days into their in-store Rough Trade tour, the rock band, known for their anthemic sound and blistering live performances, continue to draw crowds with ease... 

Gig review: Richard Dawson at Metronome

For a man with a bizarre and enigmatic back catalogue, Newcastle’s folk troubadour Richard Dawson possesses a rare gift: to create songs that revel in the mundane while also providing an elemental musical base that allows his tales to flourish. At Nottingham's Metronome, Dawson, with his leg encased in a surgical boot, was able to put on a show packed with a gamut of emotions; a night of opinion polls, cheese pasties, ghost stories and a ruptured Achilles tendon made for an evening which will go down as one of the most bizarre in a long time...