Site search

Life Behind Bars: With Sofia Kellas, Taproom Assistant at Neon Raptor

We visit Neon Raptor, our Sneinton Market neighbours, to chat to taproom assistant Sofia Kellas. 

We meet battle victors Cherry Stone

When indie five-piece Cherry Stone stepped on to the stage at Metronome for the 2026 edition of the Ultimate Battle Of The Bands contest, they were hoping to do well – but winning following a unanimous judges’ decision proved to be a euphoric and surreal moment. We caught up with the band as they prepared for their next episode(s)...

Rap artist JayaHadADream on her debut record and the Nottingham music scene

Since winning last year’s Glastonbury Festival Emerging Talent competition, things have only been on the up for Cambridge-via-Notts artist JayaHadADream. From collaborating with both local names and national heavyweights in dance music and hip hop, like Andy Zoutr, Gardna, and Flowdan, to receiving nods from the likes of Stormzy, there’s truly no stopping her. Wonderfully, she also got her start right here in Nottingham.

With her debut album Happiness From Agony now released, plus a Metronome show this month, she told us how life’s going at the moment.

We catch up with Moonlit, winner of the 2025 Ultimate Battle of the Bands competition

Following their triumph at the Ultimate Battle of the Bands this year, and ahead of their Rough Trade appearance, we caught up with all six members of Moonlit to find out what the win meant to them, how they feel about playing Splendour Festival, and what else is on the horizon for them as a band…

Exhibition Review: Money Talks: Stories from the Coins at Mansfield Museum

An exhibition about money featuring, amongst other things, a hoard of Roman coins that have gone on public display for the first time and date back to the BC era...

Gig review: The Boxer Rebellion at Rescue Rooms

Imagine being featured in Hollywood movies and that is not even the coolest thing about your band! The Boxer Rebellion put on a wonderful, mellow performance at Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms and made a packed out venue feel like an intimate show with their heart-warming and rousing tracks...

The battle for the Marcus Garvey Centre and what it means for the community

For over forty years, the Marcus Garvey Centre in Lenton has served as an important cultural hub for the Black community, providing a space for live music, celebrations, educational training, business growth and day care for Black elders. With recent news that the centre is facing closure, LeftLion went down to find out what it means for the community and why it is being fought for.

Five of Nottingham's nastiest drag queens go head to head in the battle of the bitches

Liv Presents: The Prohibition Roast is another of the amazing comedy nights lined up at the Lord Roberts and part of the wider Nottingham Comedy Festival. But with wit as sharp as broken glass, do you dare go down to the basement...  

From local rap to national comedy: Here's what's on this week in Nottingham, 28 October-3 November

There's plenty to keep you busy this week in Nottingham, from hip-hop, to poetry, to comedy...

Nottingham Rapper Juga-Naut Talks About New Album Bem II

Humour, truth and growth are some of the ingredients to Bem II, the brand new self-produced album from Nottingham rapper Juga-Naut. We asked him to give us a taste of how he blends lyrics, meaning, production, collaboration and visuals to make such a record.

Nadia on... Rap

Regular columnist and Labour MP for Nottingham East Nadia Whittome discusses rap...

Rapper and Producer Jah Digga Tells Us All About St Ann’s Community Recording Studio

Local rapper and producer Jah Digga has become a familiar face on the Notts music scene. It is his passion for music that led him into taking a mentor role for the youth, at St Ann’s Community Recording Studio (CRS). We caught up with Jah in the studio, where he gives a deep-dive into all things creative.

In Photos: The Ultimate Battle of the Bands at Metronome

A selection of NTU and Confetti bands battled it out at Metronome last week...

How Maggie’s Support Centre Is Aiming to Raise Money With a Culture-Filled Tour of Nottingham

Providing care to patients and their families, Maggie’s are the free cancer support centre stationed outside City Hospital. Now they’re raising money to keep the centre running through their annual Culture Crawl - the five-mile night walk kept lively by a selection of Nottingham personalities and performers. We catch up with Maggie’s about the work they do, the celebratory nature of the walk and how to get involved…

Out of Time: How Two Ruddington-Born Soldiers Played Their Part in the Infamous Battle of Rorke’s Drift

While most of us will be familiar with the events of Rorke’s Drift from Zulu - the 1964 film that made a star out of Michael Caine - there is much more to the story than the Hollywood portrayal, including the presence of two Ruddington-born soldiers at the battle. In what has been described as amongst the most famous military actions in British history, the twelve-hour long battle demonstrated both the best of British bravery and the worst of the Empire’s seemingly limitless horrors…

Nottingham Artist Victoria Hayward Discusses Pysanky, the Traditional Egg-Decorating Technique She's Using to Raise Money for Ukraine

Victoria Hayward explains how she is using her artist residency at City Arts to decorate 100 eggs using a traditional Ukrainian batik dye technique, raising money for the Ukraine DEC appeal in the process