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Closing chapter: Jane Streeter looks back at thirty years of Lowdham shop The Bookcase
Sun 25 Oct 2026After thirty years at the heart of Lowdham village, The Bookcase — an independent bookshop founded and owned by Jane Streeter – has now closed its doors. Selling an abundance of local and global books, the shop supported local schools in the community, and also welcomed a few famous authors over the years, along with founding the Lowdham Book Festival which happened for over twenty-six years. Jane told us about the journey of the bookshop, along with the highs and core memories, over three decades…
Dabbling in the Dark Arts: we catch up with organisers of the Dark Arts Market
Mon 12 Oct 2026It’s officially the spooky season, but for Fiona Holmes and Elyssa Fleming, the eldritch, strange and eerie is more than just an aesthetic that ends with Halloween. They talk to LeftLion about how they created The Dark Arts Market, a place where all ‘alt’ artists and creatives, at all stages of their creative career, can feel seen and supported.
We chat to Ibibio Sound Machine's Eno Williams ahead of the band's Rescue Rooms show
Sun 11 Oct 2026Ibibio Sound Machine are a leading act within African and Electronic music. They have had multiple appearances on Later... with Jools Holland and countless plays across the BBC. They bring a showstopping performance to every stage they grace and have echoed the walls of Wembley Stadium. LeftLion sat down with frontwoman Eno Williams to discuss their latest release, Chopping Mountain, and their ongoing tour, reflecting on making music now compared to their 2014 debut, as well as that moment Coldplay asked the band to open for them in the UK’s biggest stadium...
Left Magpie: A Zip in the Data
Tue 06 Oct 2026Julian McDougall, our resident reporter for all things Notts County FC, tell us what's going on for the Magpies over the international break...
Exhibition Review: Rosemary Wels, A Retrospective at the Nottingham Society of Artists
Fri 02 Oct 2026Rosemary Wels’ final exhibition at the Nottingham Society of Artists is as educational as it is impressive as you walk through the story of her career from school sketches to Nottingham rainy-night landscapes.
Darren Simpson on his latest frightening folk tale: Lykewise
Sun 27 Sept 2026Genre-hopping and Carnegie-nominated Darren Simpson has carved a unique space in folk horror with his new novel Lykewise. We sat down with him to unpack his inspiration, the journey behind its publication, and what scares teenagers these days.
Common Ground: Alan Lodge's upcoming exhibition documents protests, parties and festivals over the last fifty years
Mon 21 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.
Gig review: Francis of Delirium at The Bodega, with Daisy Peacock
Mon 21 Sept 2026Francis of Delirium brought energy of all flavours to The Bodega, warming up the room with their evolved grunge sounds, tales of love and obsession, and inspiring commitment...
How to Handle Low Data Situations Using a Travel eSIM Abroad
Mon 21 Sept 2026Loss of mobile data access while abroad can turn an exciting trip into a stressful ordeal. From navigation to emergency calls, mobile access supports nearly every critical aspect of international travel. Unexpected connectivity shortages strike at the worst possible moments, leaving tourists scrambling for quick solutions.
Stage Interview: Dan Lewis on Tommy Cooper – Have I Got Time For More?
Mon 14 Sept 2026A new show celebrating comedy giant Tommy Cooper visits Nottingham this November. Director, actor and producer, Dan Lewis, sits down with Left Lion to share the importance of being Tommy. Just like that...
Pick six: Notts folk artist Daudi Matsiko
Tue 08 Sept 2026For this month's Pick Six we feature Notts folk artist Daudi Matsiko who plays at Sneinton Market's By Our Hands We Make Our Way in 19 September.
Folk legend: Jim Ghedi on his soundtrack for Michael Sarnoski's The Death of Robin Hood
Fri 04 Sept 2026Sheffield musician Jim Ghedi has for years carved a unique corner of folk music, but now that he’s composed the soundtrack for a new film starring Hugh Jackman: The Death of Robin Hood, a lot more people will probably be recognising his name from here on out. He’s also playing a gig in Nottingham in October, so there was no better time for us to meet and chat with him…
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.
Tom A. Smith talks energy, dedication, and why he just keeps coming back to a certain local festival
Sun 16 Aug 2026Next week, Tom A. Smith will be returning - again - to the magical, intimate setting of 110 Above Festival, just a few miles from Nottingham. We caught up with the Sunderland artist for a quickfire interview...
Pick Six: Just The Tonic founder Darrell Martin
Mon 03 Aug 2026This month we feature Darrell Martin, who founded Just The Tonic Comedy Club in Nottingham in 1994, which has since grown to host comedy nights nationwide and at Metronome every Saturday. At this month’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival they will be promoting 215 shows across nineteen performance spaces…
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.
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.
LeftLion Interviews Podcast #19: Selina Mosinski (AKA Charity Shop Sue) and Matt Chesney of Backlit Studios on Selina’s new Edinburgh Fringe show Puss in Boots: a Working Class Fairytale
Fri 10 Jul 2026This episode we are joined by Selina Mosinski (AKA Charity Shop Sue) and Matt Chesney of Backlit Studios to talk about Selina’s new Edinburgh Fringe show Puss in Boots: a Working Class Fairytale.
Theatre Review: Dyke Systems Ltd by Fag Packet at the Nottingham Playhouse
Fri 10 Jul 2026This award-winning theatre double act come to Nottingham with a comedy show that is part queer fever dream and part corporate seminar, and much more...
Altered State: Nottingham’s vital role in 1990s dance culture
Thu 09 Jul 2026In his book Altered State: The Story of Ecstasy Culture and Acid House, journalist Matthew Collin documents the cultural explosion sparked by the potent combination of house music and MDMA, which catalysed a remarkable upsurge of creative activity, from London to Glasgow, Manchester to Belfast – and Nottingham. Matthew tells us what made the city integral in this powerful cultural movement.
Meet 2Two’s and Omari Marsalis: the champs of the Future Sound of Nottingham award 2026
Wed 08 Jul 2026Last month the Future Sound of Nottingham awards took place once again, giving seven artists the chance to battle it out on Rock City’s main stage. With a diverse line up of exceptional talent, ranging from folk and alternative rock to soul and grime, the audience and industry panel placed their votes for who should play at this year’s Splendour Festival. We spoke to winners 2Two’s and Omari Marsalis to hear where they came from and how they’re feeling about opening Splendour.
People Laughing: Music to dance and cry to
Fri 03 Jul 2026People Laughing landed on the Nottingham music scene in January 2026 with big tunes, smooth aesthetics and catchy songwriting. The trio, made up of singer/guitarist Matt Grocott, bassist Ollie Carnell and drummer Luke Hallam, have showed no sign of showing, with a three-date residency at Nottingham’s legendary Acoustic Rooms, sets at big venues including The Bodega and Rescue Rooms, and even an appearance at Nottingham’s biggest festival, Splendour, upcoming. Singer Matt joined up for a chat to tell us all about the project, what they draw from and what’s next...