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TV legend Steve Backshall on his upcoming Deadly Live show at Motorpoint Arena

If you've ever wondered what kind of person willingly dives headfirst into crocodile-infested waters, wrestles with giant anacondas, or casually points out how a tarantula could melt your face off — meet Steve Backshall. Adventurer, presenter, author, and all-round animal maniac (the loveable kind),

Steve has spent the last couple of decades getting way too cosy with the kind of animals most of us would sprint away from. We caught up with Steve ahead of his Deadly Live! show at Motorpoint Arena, to find out what thrills and spills audiences can expect from the show, how he handles those hairy moments (literally), and deep dive into some of Steve’s favourite animal experiences.

How the Sound Sanctuary is keeping Notts ravers safe

A lover of music and the underground rave scene, Magda realised the parties they were attending were under-delivering on safety. In 2023, they began The Sound Sanctuary: a travelling stand, a bunch of supplies and a few passionate people providing first aid and drug education to help partiers feel safe in the rave… 

Life without liquor: the best activities for teetotal people in Notts

“What’s your drink of choice?” No, sadly I’m not Emma D’Arcy, instead a thirty-year-old who’s chosen to live alcohol-free for the past two years. So I’ll take a lime and soda, or a ginger beer if I’m feeling a little bit fancy. Truth be told, it’s one of the best things I’ve done; I feel far from the ‘boring one,’ in fact it’s the opposite - there’s such an abundance of alternative activities to do, right here in Nottingham, so grab a 0% brew and get comfy... 

Lola Young, Day Fever and the Festival of Food and Drink: Here's what's on in Notts this week 15-21 September 2025

Nottingham is hosting a diverse range of events this week, from back-to-back musical performances arranged by Rough Trade to a majestic murder mystery dinner night and a 2000s emo festival. Be it enjoying comedic nostalgia with Friends on stage or witnessing an epic confrontation between local poets, there is something for everyone and this week's top picks from our city are...

We speak to Dan Cunningham of Vona Vella

Nottingham five-piece Vona Vella formed in lockdown and have gone from strength to strength since. Gigging around Notts - and co-managing The Grove - has seen them hone their skills and build up a loyal following. We caught up with singer-songwriter Dan Cunningham to talk about Bear Trap, forging their own path in the industry and the benefits of ditching London...

Chaos reigns, cowbells ring: We chat to Midnight Rodeo

Saddle up for the Midnight Rodeo. Behind the surf and soul of Nottingham’s most anticipated outfit, LeftLion's Talia Robinson sat down with Maddy Chamberlain and Jim McBride to discover just how they turned chaos into craft...

Folklore and Fear: Darren Simpson discusses his latest scary novel Thirst

Known for his gritty, thought-provoking books for older children, we caught up with self-professed cake lover and award-winning author Darren Simpson to discuss how fear and folklore have inspired his latest chilling tale, Thirst...

We chat to Day Fever co-founder Jonny Owen

Day Fever is less than two years old but has already become a cultural sensation. Launched in early 2024 with a debut event in Sheffield’s City Hall Ballroom and growing to a nationwide tour that’s sees thousands around the UK hit the dance floor each month, the message is clear: people everywhere are craving a space to let loose, laugh, and dance, all before 8pm. Ahead of Day Fever's return to Nottingham on 20th September, We sat down with co-founder Jonny Owen to discuss how the event came about, how it has become so popular and why Nottingham is the ideal venue...

Follow the stickers: Notts filmmaker Matt Watts on the stories behind sticker art on the streets

Hidden amongst the barrage of commercial advertisements and billboards that dominate our city landscape, the more curious among us may be drawn to some unusual markings; the plethora of quirky stickers plastered on lampposts, signs and electrical boxes. Follow the Stickers is a short film by Nottingham-based documentary filmmaker Matt Watts. Here he shares his journey of tangents, discovering artists, events and more obscure messages of the underground sticker world, and telling us why we should keep an eye out for them too… 

We chat to Death Of The High Street about life, music and taking things just seriously enough

Death Of The High Street are a force to be reckoned with: a hard grafting, guitar-based rock band with bags of energy, a distinct social conscience, and a desire to spread their message far and wide. We caught up with founding members Scott Baxter and Ash Simpson to talk about hard work, music with a message, and why they chose Nottingham for their album launch show…

Blood Brothers, Tom Grennan and RELIC: Here's what's on in Notts this week 8-14 September 2025

This week Nottingham is hosting loads of events for you to get out and be entertained. Whether you're a theatre enthusiast, a fan of live music or here for a bit of cultural celebration, there's something for you to get your teeth stuck into. Here are our top picks of the week...

Theatre and TV legend James Graham talks bringing Notts to the screen and writing about Gareth Southgate

James Graham is one of British theatre’s most popular and prolific writers and also the creator of BBC TV drama Sherwood. He was born and brought up in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, in the 1980s -his first job was working the stage door at the Theatre Royal. Twenty years on, James returns to the city with the epic Dear England, a play about football manager Gareth Southgate, which headlines the theatre’s 160th birthday celebrations…

Cabaret, tug of war and speed skating: Here's what's on in Notts this week 1-7 September 2025

This week brings you a brilliant range of events in Notts, whether you are a theatre lover or a sporting fanatic, there's plenty in store to kick off your September. Here are our top picks for the week...

Art is the heart: what to expect from year two of Art Fest in Notts

With its first year in 2024 bringing 34 new murals to Nottingham’s streets, Art Fest is back this month to splash more colour and creativity on walls throughout the city. Festival Director Benjamin Kay, who co-runs The Carousel in Hockley, tells us why he set up the festival and what to expect from this year…

We catch up with singer, musician and mod icon Miles Kane

From being a Little Flame to a Rascal and a Last Shadow Puppet, Liverpudlian mod brother Miles Kane has built a stellar career spanning more than 20 years. Now, happily ploughing his own furrow again, he returns to Nottingham next month to promote his latest long-player, Sunlight In The Shadows, with a date at Rough Trade. LeftLion caught up with him to bask in the rays of promotional duties to talk Nashville, Nottingham and Northern curry sauce…

In photos: Happy birthday to The Grove!

In just a year, The Grove has become one of Nottingham's success stories: a truly independent, DIY music space with an open, supportive and inclusive ethos. Run by Dan Cunningham and Cam Worne, this is a place of hard work, joy and community. We were there to capture the vibe of their first birthday bash...

Out of time: a idiosyncratic history of adult cinemas and shops in Notts

Sex sells….or so we’ve heard. We take a look back at Nottingham’s history of ‘adult’ entertainment cinemas and shops.

From grassroots to Fields: we speak with rising local band Drury Hill

Nottingham born-and-bred Drury Hill are one of the emerging bands repopulating the local grassroots music scene with a softer rock, post-folk influenced sound. Transitioning between softly lilting, storytelling tracks and jangly, spirited choruses you find yourself humming days afterwards, the four-piece’s live gigs and recent EP Fields capture a fittingly self-described "soft rockin’, slacker poppin’’ voice. But their DIY, offbeat and grassroots ethos runs deeper than their distinct sound; Drury Hill have always been shaped by the band members’ shared adolescence in Nottingham. We met with Charley to talk about the ways a sense of place seeps into their songwriting, the nostalgia that infuses Fields, and the support of the grassroots music scene...

Overheard in Notts: September 2025

It's another instalment of Overheard in Notts - this month we focus in on pork pies, cable cars, and the Morrisey of Mapperley...

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #12: Writer James Graham on Dear England, Sherwood, Broadway, London theatre and writing for stage and screen

Our latest episode is a conversation with the Notts-born Showrunner of BBC TV's Sherwood, who is taking Notts to New York stages and returning home to celebrate the 160th Birthday of Nottingham's Theatre Royal...

Gardening tips, raves and tours: Here's what's on in Notts this week, 25 - 31 August

This weeks brings you tours galore, from gardening tours to archery tours with Robin Hood and Maid Marian. Here's our picks of the week... 

Cara Thompson Announced As Nottingham's First Nature Poet Laureate

We speak to Cara as her new 18 month position with Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature begins...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #30: Notts music we're currently spinning

We've reached the thirtieth edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens! This week, our music team reviews new releases from katie., Lucas, MCØ and Bradley McKnight...

Playwright Caroline Bird on writing The Last Stand Of Mrs Mary Whitehouse

The Playhouse continues its streak of consequential new plays with the upcoming The Last Stand Of Mrs Mary Whitehouse, starring Maxine Peake behind those infamous horn-rimmed spectacles. Caroline Bird speaks to Leftlion about how and why she wrote about the 'most dangerous woman in Britain'... 

A generation on pause: we speak to NEET young people in Notts

You may or may not have heard the term NEET before, standing for Not in Employment, Education, or Training. It describes a wide group of people that could be made up of young carers, people with severe medical conditions, or even people on gap years, as well as many other circumstances. We spoke to some Nottingham folks who have found themselves in these kinds of situations.