There's more content than you would believe. Hopefully this will make finding it a bit easier...
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...
18 of the best independent places to eat in Nottingham on a Monday
Sun 13 Sept 2026Mondays in the city can be a bit of a culinary minefield. After a busy weekend, plenty of independent restaurants and cafés take the day off – and quite rightly so. But that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to a sad meal deal when the Monday hunger starts calling. Whether you’re starting the week with a catch-up over coffee, looking for a proper lunch, or fancy treating yourself to dinner, our Food Co-editor and Nottingham Food Guide founder Julia has rounded up eighteen of the best places to eat in Nottingham on a Monday.
Undercover artist: Iulia Matei celebrates creative pastimes with our September 2026 cover
Sat 12 Sept 2026This month’s cover artist Iulia Matei talks comics, creativity and letting things figure themselves out.
What is Trentbelly? Inside the first river-focused episode of local podcast NottsPod
Wed 09 Sept 2026After one of his pupils caught a case of ‘Trentbelly’, the local nomenclature for illness caught from a polluted River Trent, secondary school teacher Tom Suchoruczka became curious about how the river got to the state it is now. This led Tom to team up with Notts historian and YouTuber Michael Krawec, and together they went down a research wormhole which culminated in Trentbelly – the first series of new podcast NottsPod. Here, by way of laying the groundwork for that, Michael talks us through the winding history of Nottingham’s modern day water system.
Stage Interview: Tracy Radford, artistic director at Unanima Youth Performance Academy
Tue 08 Sept 2026The Unanima Youth Performance Academy supports people with learning disabilities, developing theatrical skills and creating opportunities to perform. And they have just been awarded a grant to take their work to new levels. Tracy Radford, CEO and Artistic Director, shares the story of their success with Left Lion...
Stage Review: Robin Hood International Improv Festival at the Squire Performing Arts.
Sun 06 Sept 2026If you think improv is just a group of comedians shouting random words at each other until someone says something funny, then Nottingham’s Robin Hood International Improv Festival might just change your mind...
LeftLion's Latest Listens #51: Notts music we're currently spinning
Fri 04 Sept 2026As autumn begins to take hold, with rain replacing the sun, the LeftLion music team are taking refuge in the best new local music. This week, the team reviews recent releases from Stone Black Witches, Amantes, People Laughing and Revenge of Calculon...
Night Creatures Podcast #9: Chloe Leak on the Nottingham scene, the challenges of working in the industry as a woman and promoting independent nights
Fri 04 Sept 2026Night Creatures is a 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 two decades of experience of putting on great parties in the city...
A Review of This Isn’t Italian Romance by Teo Eve
Fri 04 Sept 2026Sophie, an optimistic and carefree recent graduate, decides to sample the dolce vita by moving to Italy to teach English. In Teo Eve's debut novel This Isn't Italian Romance.
We speak to Freya Ridings about songwriting, empowerment and Nottingham memories
Thu 03 Sept 2026Since breaking through with her top 10 single Lost Without You in 2017, Freya Ridings has established herself as one of the UK’s most impressive vocal talents, able to deliver tender balladry and euphoric moments of power with equal skill. Not content to rest on her laurels with the launch of her third album Mother Of Pearl, Ridings quickly launched into a huge UK and EU tour. We caught up with her ahead of the Nottingham date...
Breaking Ground: how Nottingham Forest Women are scaling up their ambitions
Wed 02 Sept 2026As Nottingham Forest Women prepare for a new Women’s Super League 2 (WSL2) campaign, Head of Women's and Girls’ Football Amber Wildgust tells us about their new manager Tom Mallinson, recruitment strategy, a landmark pre-season tour to Canada, and why they want to become the destination club for emerging talent.
Everything to know about The Garage: Chilwell's lively independent weekend market
Mon 31 Aug 2026At first the base of Nottingham bus operator Barton – in 1913 – and now the home of Nottingham’s largest independent market, The Garage in Chilwell has been a pillar of its local community since it began. Every weekend this family run business welcomes numerous traders and locals through its doors. From its most well known weekend markets to comedy and beer festivals, the success of The Garage is constantly evolving as a local favourite for Beeston and Notts residents alike. Here’s how they got to the point they’re at today…
Forged in Mansfield: local playwright Beth Steel on her play Till the Stars Come Down and going international
Sat 29 Aug 2026Born and brought up in Warsop, playwright Beth Steel has seen her work performed in London, Tokyo, Mexico, Iceland, Peru and more. What’s particularly brilliant about this is that they’re usually set in her hometown of Mansfield. She tells us more about her fifth play Till the Stars Come Down, which is coming home to Nottingham Playhouse one week from now …
LeftLion Issue #199 September 2026
Fri 28 Aug 2026Featuring playwright Beth Steel, musician Jim Ghedi, photographer Alan Lodge, The Garage in Chilwell, hidden spots in Nottingham, creative opportunities, and more...
We talk to a band who define runaway success: Westside Cowboy
Thu 27 Aug 2026Manchester formed four-piece Westside Cowboy are one of the most exciting bands emerging on the current UK circuit. Within three years of forming during freshers week at university, they have toured with masterclass rock group Geese, secured the most viewed performance on the current series of 'Later… with Jools Holland', performed at Glastonbury and filled venues of thousands - all before their debut album was even released. Ahead of their Nottingham record store appearance, we sat down with Reuben (vocals / guitar) and Aoife (vocals / bass) to discuss the new album, their upcoming record store and headline tours, and meeting music legend Elton John...
Gig review: Bob Log III and The Gadgets at Billy Bootleggers
Mon 17 Aug 2026The innovative, inventive and outrageous American bluesman Bob Log III is currently on a UK tour that reached Nottingham's own sleazy rock n' roll dive bar, Billy Bootleggers a week ago. Richard Wilkinson-Smith went down to the centre of the city to check out what this unbelievably entertaining gutter-blues space cadet was all about.
Undercover artist: Lucy Holt on music industry design and her August 2026 cover for LeftLion
Mon 17 Aug 2026Our August cover artist Lucy Holt talks about projection art, previous projects and inspiration…
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...
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.