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Common Ground: Alan Lodge's upcoming exhibition documents protests, parties and festivals over the last fifty years
Sat 19 Sept 2026Opening this month at Bonington Gallery is Common Grounds: Counterculture & Confrontation since 1976, a retrospective of the work of Alan ‘Tash’ Lodge. One of the UK’s most prolific photographers of alternative lifestyles, Alan’s work gives a vivid first person insight into the new age traveller movement and the 90s free-party scene, raising questions about the right to gather, policing, surveillance and community.
Exhibition review: 86:26 LGBTQ+ Film, Heritage and Archive this week at Backlit
Wed 26 Aug 2026A 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.
Exhibition review: Pieces of Me at the National Justice Museum
Tue 18 Aug 2026Made by artist Elahè Raofi and built by the stories of members of Refugee Roots, a free exhibition at the National Justice Museum creates a space that says, ‘all are welcome’, while tackling themes of work, identity and belonging.
Art works: White Falcon I by Marcus Rowlands
Wed 12 Aug 2026For this month’s Art Works we heard from Marcus Rowlands, whose intricate wooden mandalas are on display at the New Art Exchange’s Open exhibition throughout this month.
Putting down roots: the story of the Windrush Generation and St Ann's Allotments explored in a new book
Mon 10 Aug 2026Colin Haynes’ book, Caribbean Pioneer Gardeners, tells the story of men whose love for gardening gave them much more than callaloo and oxheart tomatoes. It shares the true story of a group of Windrush residents who turned the neglected, overgrown Hungerhill Gardens, or St Ann's Allotments, as they would become known, into a Caribbean-inspired culinary and horticultural haven.
Exhibition review: Physical Culture and And The Soul is for the Birds at Nottingham Contemporary
Thu 23 Jul 2026Two very different exhibitions are currently displayed at the Nottingham Contemporary. In one, classical sculptures intersect with modern fitness culture. In the other, a Brazilian artist creates an imagined folklore…
Artists, Lovers, Outsiders: the new exhibition at Nottingham Castle
Tue 21 Jul 2026The latest exhibition over at Nottingham Castle tells the story of Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun, two Scottish artists, lovers, and outsiders, whose mark on mid-century Modernist art has largely been overlooked. Sophie Gargett caught up with curator and award-winning writer Damian Barr, whose fictional biographical novel The Two Roberts sheds light on a love story that was hidden for decades.
Splendour Festival's last hurrah, musicals, ballet and immersive art experiences: here's what's on in Notts this week: events 13 July - 19 July
Sun 12 Jul 2026This week is one for the books, including Splendour Festival celebrating their final weekend, Beyond Monet & Beyond Van Gogh, a convention for hit sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf, and events for theatre, music and ballet fans alike.
Exhibition review: Drawn Through Time at Lakeside Arts
Sat 11 Jul 2026Nottingham's cultural landscape has quietly become one of the most exciting in the Midlands, with Lakeside Arts consistently bringing ambitious exhibitions to the city that challenge how audiences engage with contemporary art. Its latest exhibition, Drawn Through Time, is no exception. Housed within the Djanogly Gallery at the University of Nottingham, the exhibition takes what many might consider the simplest of artistic practices – drawing – and transforms it into something far richer: a way of navigating history, memory and imagination.
What to expect from the Nottingham Puppet Festival 2026
Thu 11 Jun 2026This summer will mark the fourth year of Nottingham Puppet Festival, and if you're yet to experience it, then you’re guaranteed a very memorable time.
What to expect from Nottingham Restaurant Week 2026
Wed 03 Jun 2026Nottingham Restaurant Week is back this month; for not one but two weeks (running Mon 1 - Sat 14 June). It’s a celebration of local food outlets with plenty of excellent deals, ranging from £10-£30, at restaurants across the city centre to entice you to try somewhere new. This year over 65 different venues are involved ranging from independent gems to big-name favourites. Here’s everything you need to know…
Bittersweet streets: a look at artist Julian Pinnick's new exhibition at Broadway Gallery
Sat 30 May 2026Anyone who has lived in Nottingham for years will have snapshots in their mind of characters, shops and moments lost to time, but one local artist has gone a step further, memorialising fleeting scenes of Nottingham’s past in paint. Ahead of an upcoming exhibition at Broadway Gallery, Liz Johnson talks to Julian Pinnick about his creative journey and why slow art can capture a changing urban landscape
Comedy, music festivals and local talent: Here's what's on this week in Nottingham 18 -24 May
Mon 18 May 2026This 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...
What to expect from Green Hustle festival 2026
Sat 09 May 2026After 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.
How ANTI All Genders Barber adds an extra dose of inclusivity to cutting hair in Nottingham
Sat 25 Apr 2026While getting a haircut is a fairly ordinary part of life for some, having a stranger alter your appearance can feel daunting for others, especially if you’re trans or non-binary and find yourself tangled up with widely-debated, unequal gender-based prices, or neurodivergent and don’t feel great about the socially-sanctioned small talk. Nottingham’s ANTI All Genders Barber is looking to provide a solution to that…
Immersive indie theatre, all day gigs, impactful exhibitions: here's what's on in Nottingham this week 30 March - 5 April
Sun 29 Mar 2026This is a great week in Notts for music and art lovers... check out our top picks.
Northern Ballet presents Gentleman Jack; the extraordinary story of Anne Lister
Mon 16 Mar 2026This year, the world premiere of Northern Ballet’s new full-length ballet Gentleman Jack, is set to captivate audiences as part of a nationwide tour, with performances at Nottingham's Theatre Royal from 13-16 May...
Beyond Van Gogh and Beyond Monet launches yoga sessions alongside their immersive Nottingham summer exhibition
Thu 05 Mar 2026Fancy doing some stretches to a backdrop of Van Gogh's Starry Night? Or perfecting your balance while staring at Monet's The Beach at Sainte-Adresse? Nottingham art lovers have the opportunity take part in a unique series of yoga sessions this summer set amid some of the world’s most mesmerising masterpieces.
Shaking the foundations: Nate Coltrane on the next stages of creative project Our Yard
Thu 05 Mar 2026If ‘Our Yard’ is a phrase as of yet unfamiliar to you, it’s definitely worth visiting the New Art Exchange this month. Currently, the Hyson Green-based gallery is hosting Our Yard: Foundations – a multimedia exhibition curated by Notts music promoter and community organiser Nate Coltrane, which bookends years of creative work he’s been doing to highlight immigration’s positive impact on the UK. In advance of the exhibition’s launch, Nate walked us through how Our Yard has evolved since its inception.
Exploring antiques, art and community treasure trove Hopkinson Vintage
Wed 04 Mar 2026Hidden gem Hopkinson could be described as what happens when a Victorian hardware store has a wildly creative midlife crisis - and we mean that in the best way. Part-shop, part-café bar, part-museum (and occasionally part-maze), this four storey antiques and art centre is packed with independent artists, vintage trinkets, handmade oddities, and curiosities you definitely didn’t plan on buying but absolutely will. Co-owner, Bryony Woodgates, talks about her tenure co-directing the space with Ash Hudson…
Shakespeare Unfolded Festival: A celebration of insightful performances and creative exploration coming to Nottingham
Tue 03 Mar 2026Between Mon 16 – Sat 21 March Nottingham's Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall will be hosting a free festival of performances, workshops, academic insight and open mic nights; inviting audiences to experience William Shakespeare’s classic works in new ways...