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LeftLion's Latest Listens #49: Notts music we're currently spinning

Fri 31 Jul 2026

In this 49th edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from Richard Snow, Emily Ashberry, Pillow Fort and CATHEDRA...

Altered State: Nottingham’s vital role in 1990s dance culture

Thu 09 Jul 2026

In 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.

People Laughing: Music to dance and cry to

Fri 03 Jul 2026

People 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...

Dance Review: Breakin' Convention

Mon 18 May 2026

Impressive Break Dancing on offer at Nottingham's annual festival

Blues, dance, and Hong Kong culture: Here's what's on in Nottingham

Sun 05 Apr 2026

There's lots of events this week set to spread some strong community spirit and selfless sentiment here in Notts. Here are some of our favourites...

Early Christmas parties and dance music at The Model: Here's what's on in Notts this week, Mon 1 - Sun 7 December

Sun 30 Nov 2025

December 2025 starts with a bang in Nottingham, as a host of occasions from the festive, to the musical, to the artistic, take place...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #36: Notts music we're currently spinning

Fri 28 Nov 2025

In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2025, our music team reviews new releases from Marseille, Kelsey and The Embers, Richard Snow and ALT BLK ERA...

Night Creatures Podcast #3: Killer Jim from Out To Lunch on 25 years of Northern soul, jazz funk and jazz dance events in Nottingham

Fri 14 Nov 2025

Night Creatures is a new LeftLion podcast, shining a light on the promoters of Nottingham. Your host and interviewer is Beane, co-founder of Nottingham’s beloved Soul Buggin’ night and he brings with him over twenty years of experience of putting on great parties in the city.

Dance Review: Northern Ballet - Merlin at the Theatre Royal

Thu 16 Oct 2025

If you have a thing for modern musical theatre and have never been to a ballet, this might just be your gateway drug.

Ballet Black founder Cassa Pancho on growing an inclusive dance company and bringing it to Nottingham's Theatre Royal

Mon 13 Oct 2025

Ballet Black was set up in 2001, in response to a lack of black and Asian dancers working in professional ballet across the UK. It has since emerged as a pivotal force in altering the landscape of British ballet. With a new show heading to Nottingham’s Theatre Royal this month, we put some questions to Ballet Black founder Cassa Pancho…

Dancer Kevin Poeung talks Merlin, which headlines the Theatre Royal this month

Thu 09 Oct 2025

Watching French dancer Kevin Poeung dazzle in the ballet Merlin (which this month plays at the Theatre Royal) it’s easy to overlook the hard work, sacrifice, and sheer tenacity it took him to reach the pinnacle of his career as a ballet dancer. He shares with Leftlion the milestones on his challenging journey…

Gig review: Club Onion 5 at The OId Cold Store

Mon 06 Oct 2025

Club Onion is the brainchild of Twisted Onion promoters Steve Solbé and Steve Hardaker. The events bring a mix of live bands, electronic artists and DJs to locations across the UK with the vibe being very much 1988–1992, bringing to mind the Megadog events from back in the day. The fifth Nottingham edition took place at The Old Cold Store...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #28: Notts music we're currently spinning

Sun 10 Aug 2025

With summer at its height, here's what our music team has been listening to recently. In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, we review releases from Antonio Panzera, Marvin's Revenge, Richard Snow and EMiDORA & Darling I Dreamt

Save the last dance: how Torvill and Dean put Nottingham on the ice dancing map

Thu 03 Jul 2025

Beeston, 14 February 1984. I was fourteen, with nowhere to go for Valentine’s Day and zero interest in ice skating. However, these were the days of four TV channels (and the fourth was quite new), so mass TV events were a must watch. Plus Torvill and Dean were from Nottingham! So, we joined the twenty million to tune in to their Bolero at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics…

Pick Six: Notts born athlete and Paralympian Richard Whitehead

Sun 25 May 2025

For this month’s Pick Six we turn to Notts born athlete and Paralympian Richard Whitehead…

Gig review: Richard Dawson at Metronome

Thu 08 May 2025

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...