"Our city and county are alive with cultural excitement"

“You won’t be disappointed by Nottinghamshire, home to Europe’s largest number of artists per capita. Our city and county is alive with cultural excitement.” 
Visitnottingham.com

City of culture

Nottingham is enriched with a flourishing arts scene which appeals to audiences as diverse as the city residents themselves.  People of all ages, interests and backgrounds are all well-catered for and encouraged to discover what Nottingham culture has to offer.

In a city which embraces all things cultural, budding performers, filmmakers, artists, writers, poets and musicians will also find a wealth of opportunities to get involved.

Art

There are a variety of art galleries in Nottingham. These include the following. 

• Nottingham Castle doubles up as a museum and art gallery
• New Art Exchange is Nottingham's fist dedicated cultural facility for black contemporary arts
• The Djanogly Art Gallery and Wallner Gallery are both located at Lakeside Arts Centre. Exhibitions range from major historical shows to contemporary installations
• Nottingham Contemporary is at the forefront of Nottingham's thriving art scene and one of the largest contemporary arts centres in the UK

Theatre

There are a number of professional theatres in Nottingham which cater for a variety of tastes and audiences. 

• Lakeside Arts Centre is the University's very own arts complex. It hosts and produces a variety of performances, events, exhibitions and workshops
• The Royal Centre is home to The Royal Concert Hall and the Theatre Royal.  Here you'll find well-known music and comedy artists and touring musical, opera and dramatic productions
• Nottingham Playhouse the place to go if you like your theatre bold, diverse and a little less commercial. You'll find cutting-edge theatre, dance and comedy productions and a lot more besides
• Nottingham Arts Theatre and the Lace Market Theatre are Nottingham's independent amateur dramatics venues
• Hatch events turn local venues in to unlikely performance spaces

Outdoor theatre

If you like your theatre al fresco, every summer there is a season of outdoor performance set in the stunning surrounds of Nottingham Castle and Newstead Abbey.    

Cinema

The movie buffs among you will never be at a loss in Nottingham. The city has many cinemas where you’ll find films suited to all types of filmgoer:

• the Broadway Media Centre offers independent and world-cinema and boasts an auditorium designed by Nottingham's very own Paul Smith
• there are two multiplex cinemas, Cineworld and Showcase
• the independent Savoy cinema, situated in Lenton, is very popular with students

Literature

There are opportunities aplenty for avid readers and fledgling and professional authors, screenwriters, poets and playwrights in Nottingham.  There are writers groups and forums and a range of courses leading to qualifications or simply just for fun.

• Nottingham Writers' Studio provides the perfect venue to hone your craft
• Nottingham's culture magazine, Left Lion, features a literature and creative writing section and also provides writers' forum, Write Lion
• Lowdham Book Festival hosts talks and performances from writers, poets, storytellers and musicians and is home to the largest book fair in the country 

Music

Popular music

The city has many live music venues which attract a range of artists to the city. From stadium rockers to small indie bands  there is a venue to accommodate any type of artist and any size of audience. These include:

• larger venues such as Capital FM Arena, Royal Centre, and Rock City
• smaller venues such as the Rescue Rooms, The Bodega, The Old Angel, Jam Cafe, and the Chameleon Arts Cafe 

Classical music

If your musical tastes are more suited to classical concerts and operatic arias then Nottingham has a number of venues specifically suited for these events:

• Lakeside Arts Centre's Djanogly Recital Hall
• Albert Hall Nottingham 
• The Royal Centre
• Southwell Minster

Founded in 1974, the Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra also plays five concerts a year in venues such across Nottinghamshire.

Comedy

In addition to the top comedy names who regularly appear at Nottingham Playhouse, the Royal Concert Hall, Capital FM Arena and Lakeside, every weekend Nottingham is awash with the sound of laughter thanks to it's three comedy venues:

• Just the Tonic Comedy Club
• The Glee Club 
• Jongleurs