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Nottingham Comedy Festival 2026: chatting to the performers

Starting Friday 30 October, the Nottingham Comedy Festival is back, bringing ten days of national talent and hilarity to bars, pubs and clubs of Nottingham. We spoke to a few comedians involved to find out what’s so funny…

Digging through the archives: 200 issues of LeftLion

200 issues of LeftLion is a lot, to say the least. Back when co-founders, Jared Wilson, Al Gilby, and Tim Bates founded the mag in their 20s, both Notts and the world at large was very different, and lots of changes, and odd, unexpected parts of Nottingham culture, past and present, have been immortalised in our print mag. Here, we have a timeline for you – an alternate history of Nottingham culture, and some of the most intriguing things we’ve had land on our desks and in our inboxes, lots of which you might not expect… 

20 Years of Hockley Hustle

This month, Nottingham city’s biggest independent arts and music festival, the brilliant Hockley Hustle, is celebrating twenty years of bringing sound and colour to our streets. Showcasing an eye-watering array of genres and talent, the festival is more than just a good time – it’s raised over £250K for 27 local charities, as well as providing stages for thousands of artists from Nottingham and beyond. 

This year, the Hustle is back on Sunday 25 October, bringing 500 acts to fifty stages. You’ll be able to catch the carnival, chill to some acoustic sounds, dance at the silent disco, enjoy punk, soul, Hip-Hop, and more.

To celebrate, here’s what the Hustle’s massive team of promoters, mainstay artists, and central organisers remember most fondly about the last twenty years of music and mayhem…

LeftLion Issue #200 October 2026

It's our 200th issue featuring Kid30, Claire Ward the Mayor of the East Midlands, Hockley Hustle, Neon Raptor, Nottingham Arts Theatre, psychic Kerry Ward and lots more...

The Scientist: LeftLion chats 20 years of With Love And Squalor with We Are Scientists' Keith Murray

20 years ago, in the midst of an indie boom kickstarted by a thriving New York rock scene, We Are Scientists emerged as the band seemingly just there for a good time, rather than a long time. However, two decades and nine albums later, they have become one of the mainstays from that flourishing mid-00s period, all thanks to a consistently solid discography and their natural chemistry with one another. Ahead of their show at Rock City later this week celebrating 20 years of their beloved debut album, With Love And Squalor, LeftLion caught up with the band’s charismatic frontman, Keith Murray…

Overheard in Notts: September 2026

Nicotine and the Babadook feature in this month's Overheard in Notts. 

In photos: Sonic Boom Festival 2026

Sonic Boom, the independent and - amazingly - free music festival, once again took over Burton on Trent town centre, showcasing the best local artists and some from further afield. Nigel King documented the day...

From the kitchen: With Massimo Bellavista, owner and head chef at Compa

For this month's instalment of From the Kitchen, we heard from Massimo Bellavista: owner of twin family-owned Sicilian restaurants Compa. 

Art Fest 2026: what's happening this year?

After bringing over thirty murals to Nottingham in the past five years, Art Fest is doing things differently in 2026. Through exhibitions, street art tours, talks and workshops, this year’s programme celebrates Nottingham’s visual artists while opening conversations about what comes next… 

Undercover artist: Iulia Matei celebrates creative pastimes with our September 2026 cover

This month’s cover artist Iulia Matei talks comics, creativity and letting things figure themselves out.

Make your mark: ten creative opportunities coming up in Nottingham

Nowadays, it’s not always easy to be creative in the UK, especially if you don’t have the money or family connections for the strongest possible head start. Luckily, our city’s ‘do-it-yourself’ culture has given rise to various creative opportunities, competitions, training projects, and free showcases. Here’s ten of the best in Nottingham, which if you're a creative person might be just what you were looking for…

Left Brian Sept 2026 - Glasnerism

For fans of the red team it’s been quite the summer for upgrading to a new leader who seems to have genuine beliefs and a determination to implement them. For this edition of Left Brian, I’ll focus on the steady opening month for Oliver Glasner’s Nottingham Forest...

Mansfield Town Film Festival 2026: in conversation with director Jay Martin

Coming up later this month, Mansfield Town Film Festival provides a packed three day schedule of working-class voices, locally made films, live screenings, masterclasses, and Q&As. We spoke to festival director Jay Martin about representation, community and why Mansfield is putting the East Midlands firmly on the cinema map… 

In photos: Foolhardy Folk Festival 2026 at The Arboretum

Skilfully curated by honorary Notts-man Beans on Toast, Foolhardy Folk Festival has become a hugely popular bank holiday event. With the bandstand as its focal point, this year's festival once again combined the best elements of nature and music. This year's lineup included Badly Drawn Boy, Skinny Lister, 3 Daft Monkeys, K.O.G and Beans on Toast himself...

Left Magpie: September 2026 - Everything Flows

It's been an encouraging start to the season for the (at the time of writing unbeaten in the League) Notts County FC. To celebrate our columnist Julian McDougall has gone all Zen Buddhist on us...

Overheard in Notts: August 2026

Karma and iPad watches feature in this month's Overheard in Notts...

The Thompsons on St Ann's Allotments, singing and summer 2026

Our latest chat with Nottingham's most opinionated grocers. 

From the Kitchen: With Bryan Henesey, owner at Breadmill Bakery

Bryan Henesey owns Sneinton Market Avenues' award winning Breadmill Bakery. For this month's instalment of From The Kitchen we chat to him...

LeftLion Issue #199 September 2026

Featuring playwright Beth Steel, musician Jim Ghedi, photographer Alan Lodge, The Garage in Chilwell, hidden spots in Nottingham, creative opportunities, and more...

Festival review: LeftLion at 110 Above

Almost hidden on a Leicestershire plateau set at the lofty altitude of 110m above sea level, the lucky few (hundred) can discover a music festival like no other. Without any sign of corporate sponsorship or gimmick, 110 Above exists to create a shared experience, for all ages, based on good music. LeftLion spent two special days there...

Theatre Review: The Mantrap at Theatre Royal

Set on a wet and wild winter night, a desperate husband is searching for his missing wife and is confronted by a woman claiming to be her... 

Exhibition review: 86:26 LGBTQ+ Film, Heritage and Archive this week at Backlit

A collaboration between BACKLIT Gallery and the British Film Institute, 86:26 explores queer history and heritage in Nottingham. Under the direction of CJ De Barra from the Notts Queer History Archive, the exhibition is taking place in the BACKLIT main gallery from 24 August until 30 August.