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Harmony at the Hall: Shipstone Street Jazz Orchestra

Summer Nights at Nottingham Castle: Musicals Live with Live Orchestra

Summer Nights at Nottingham Castle - 80's Mix Tape with Live Orchestra

Interview: Alexis Gregory in Smoke, a queer thriller at Nottingham Playhouse

Smoke is a new play from acclaimed queer theatre-maker Alexis Gregory coming to Nottingham this month. As well as a hard-hitting, savage, comic-thriller, a panel follows the play, hosted by You Are Loved and exploring issues from the play. LeftLion speaks to Alexis about social media, drugs, homophobia and much more...    

East Midlands Pamphlet Prize launched by Bad Betty, in partnership with Writing East Midlands and Nottingham Poetry Festival

Notts based independent publisher Bad Betty Press has announced the launch of the East Midlands Pamphlet Prize, a new initiative designed to support and platform poets living, working and studying across our region.

Ibiza Orchestra

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #18: Nyrobi and Chaya of ALT BLK ERA on winning a MOBO, playing Jools Holland, touring with Pendulum and homecoming gigs

This episode we are joined by Nyrobi and Chaya of ALT BLK ERA, who talk about their whirlwind year of winning a MOBO, appearing on Jools Holland and touring Europe with Pendulum…

Interview: Aisling Loftus, Nick Preston and Oliver Huntingdon on Television Workshop's new play ' I Had A Wheelbarrow'

Nottingham’s Television Workshop and acclaimed director Shane Meadows are collaborating on I Had a Wheelbarrow, a play about football. Leftlion were invited along to the County Stadium for the filming and met with a hat-trick of Workshop alumni. Aisling Loftus (Sherwood), Nick Preston (Ladhood) and Oliver Huntingdon (Grantchester) kindly tackled the questions…

Comedy, music festivals and local talent: Here's what's on this week in Nottingham 18 -24 May

 This 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...

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)...

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #17: Crazy P’s Jim Baron on international tours and festivals, soundtracking The Sopranos and his new venture White Elephant

This episode we are joined by Jim Baron from Crazy P who talks about his career in music, starting a band in Notts that became internationally renown, soundtracking for film and TV and his new venture White Elephant...

Golden era: catching up with electronic-rock duo ALT BLK ERA before their Rescue Rooms show

In 2022, sister duo and Notts natives Nyrobi and Chaya Becket-Messam emerged onto the local music scene as electronic-rock act ALT BLK ERA. Since then, they’ve gone from strength to strength, from winning a MOBO award in 2025 to touring late last year with drum and bass band Pendulum. It’s been a while since we’ve caught up with Nyrobi and Chaya, so they set aside time to walk us through their crazy journey to this point.

Gig review: Kneecap album launch at Rescue Rooms

Ahead of the release of their third album Fenian, Irish rap trio Kneecap brought a double bill show to Rescue Rooms this week to give Notts a taste of what they’ve got in store this year…

The R&B Orchestra comes to Nottingham!

The Thompsons on vinyl, the Kardomah and King George parks

Nottingham's most opinionated greengrocers on vinyl, a Notts coffee shop lost to time, and King George parks

Gig review: Lace Thief album launch at Rough Trade

Marking the official launch of her debut album Inheritance, Lace Thief took to Rough Trade Nottingham to perform the record in full following its release the day before…

Classical Music Review: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with Domingo Hindoyan at the Royal Concert Hall

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is yet another orchestra proving you do not need to go down south to see world-class concert music. And now they're back with a new conductor. Can they still cut the musical mustard... 

Joe Solo Album Launch Tour:

Interview: BalletBoyz directors Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt at Nottingham Playhouse

After 25 years of pushing boundaries, BalletBoyz return to Nottingham with a radical new show celebrating their silver anniversary. Artistic Directors Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt talk to Leftlion about the story so far...  

Alex Hale and the Private Sector talk new name and new music

Alex Hale is a well-known name for anybody versed in the Nottingham music scene. In the newly-named Alex Hale and the Private Sector, joined by bandmates Daniel Barradell, Dominic Brady, Luke Gilborn, Stephen Marsh and sometimes (when he's not busy running The Grove) Cam Worne, he is embarking on a new era…

Put your records on: eleven Notts vinyl stores worth visiting on Record Store Day

On 18 April it’s Record Store Day – a celebration of that unique grassroots culture which, even in the face of constant adversity wracking the UK music scene, endures and provides a community for innumerable lovers of physical media. Since the fifties, Nottingham’s been a hub for well-visited record stores, some becoming legendary like Selectadisc – which once hosted The Clash in store – and Way Ahead – who as well as selling vinyl also sold tickets for one of Oasis’ biggest tours. Music has changed a lot over the last few years, but here’s eleven record shops still worth checking out

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #16: Notts County’s James Belshaw on his career, coming home and how he nearly signed for Notts several times before

This episode we are joined by Notts County FC goalkeeper James Belshaw who talks about his career, coming home to play for Notts County FC and how he nearly signed for Notts several times before...

In conversation with Bob Mould about Sugar, politics and the power of finding your voice

Thirty years on from their untimely split, American indie punk pioneers Sugar reunite to play an extensive UK tour with a date at Rock City on 31st May. 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for the power punk trio with the super deluxe reissue of their 1992 debut album Copper Blue and the release of two new songs: House of Dead Memories and Long Live Love. We chatted with Iconic frontman Bob Mould about all things Sugar, Hüsker Dü, and the current state of political affairs in the US...

Gig review: Dusty 4 Track album launch at Rough Trade, with RonnieToldUs and Jinda Biant

Rough Trade was host to Dusty 4 Track last weekend as they celebrated the vinyl release of their debut album How Did I Get Here? with support from Jinda Biant and RonnieToldUs. Sophie Gargett went along to check it out...

Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature's Youth Advisory Board Celebrate the Launch of their Poetry Pamphlet

Join Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature's Youth Advisory Board as they celebrate the launch of their first poetry pamphlet on the 12th of April