Festivals are a chance to really see a city shine, and luckily for us Nottinghamshire has them by the bucketful. Whether its feasting on fine food, fun days out with the family, tasting a plethora of ales, or dancing in the sunshine, there’s sure to be something to tickle your fancy in this rundown of festivals happening in 2023. This is the time to chill out, tune in and make some amazing memories.

Music Festivals

Nottinghamshire’s acclaimed music scene has thrived in the past ten years. Along with some mighty fun music festivals taking place across the city's finest venues, you can also check out live music in more unique locations throughout Nottinghamshire.

Revellers can enjoy a smashing day out at Splendour, the one-day musical extravaganza at the glorious Wollaton Park on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 July 2023, which brings together new music with splashes of legendary talent from the past.

The Nottingham Chamber Music Festival returns feach year in June at various venues across Nottingham City Centre. Venues include Theatre Royal, Nottingham Contemporary, The Squire Perfroming Arts Centre, St Peter's Chuch and St Mary's in the Lace Market. Within these hertiage venues, they prepare to welcome musicians and composers of local and national renown to celebrate the joy that is live music.

The Woodland Disco Festival comes to Nottingham on Saturday 8th July 2023! Submerged in the fairy tale setting of a majestic Woodland only 10 minutes from Nottingham City Centre, you can expect a fully immersive festival as they enhance the natural surroundings of Newstead Abbey with a vibrant production and dazzling visuals and 2 stages. Be prepared to witness the biggest names in Disco, House & Funk including Craig Charles, Gok Wan and US disco star Barbara Tucker.

Since starting in Nottingham in 2005 Dot To Dot Festival has established itself as the UK’s premier festival for unearthing the hottest new talent around, alongside established acts from all over the globe. The festival takes place in Manchester, Bristol, and Nottingham and has put acts such as The 1975, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Mumford & Sons, Florence + The Machine, Ed Sheeran and The XX on the map. It kick off on ​​​​​​Sunday 28th May 2023 at various venues across the city.

Detonate brings Nottingham together for a massive party, set amongst the woodland, lakes and clearings of Colwick Country Park. You can expect 15,000 people in the crowd as well as more than 60 live artists and DJs. The phase one line-up includes Chase & Status and A Little Sound. It kicks off on Saturday 10th June 2023 at Colwick Park.

Meadowlands is the new event series from live promoters FKP Scorpio. Each June, they feature a variety of music acts across multiple stages with its sights set on becoming one of the biggest music events to ever take place in the city.

The Forbidden Forest Festival takes over Belvoir Castle from 2nd - 4th June 2023. Moving to a new weekend in the festival calendar, the 2023 festival will take place across 3 enchanted days, officially marking the start of the summer in the unique way that only Forbidden Forest can. Expect the best of the best talent across House, Tech House, Techno and D'n'B, with a line up of over 50 outstanding artists, providing a stand-out soundtrack for a forest rave like you've never experienced before. 

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Family Festivals

Gloworm Festival returns to Thoresby Park on Friday 11th - Sunday 13th August 2023. A wonderful family event set in the beautiful Nottinghamshire countryside, it is a brilliant 2 day festival that has been especially created for grown ups and their little people. They invite festival goers to come and play in a warm, welcoming and creative environment, loose their inhibitions, let their hair down and have some fun.

Don't miss the Nottingham Riverside Festival; the East Midlands’ biggest free festival which returns to the banks of the River Trent this year to celebrating summer. You can catch this hugely popular festival each August. You can expect live music, games, food and drink stalls, the annual duck race and dragon boat racing, and a spectacular fireworks display, this staple of summer in Nottingham is not to be missed.

Nottingham Green Festival takes over Nottingham Arboretum on Sunday 10th September 2023. This free event organised by volunteers and local community organisations. This fun-filled family-friendly event also has a serious intent - to share skills and knowledge to tackle the ongoing climate crisis, biodiversity loss and other environmental concerns. You can expect live music, vegan food stalls, craft stalls and online webinars.

The Robin Hood Festival runs each Summer in Sherwood Forest. Including outdoor cinema, jousting events, equine displays, a Viking invasion & much more, you don't want to miss it. The programme usually concludes on the Bank Holiday Weekend, with the Nottinghamshire Day Festival soon following. In addition to the main arena shows, there is usually music, magic, circus skills, historical re-enactments and so much more.

Food & Drink Festivals

Catch the Newark Food & Drink Festival at Kelham Hall on Saturday 8th April 2023. Go along and celebrate local produce from delicious food & drink traders, global flavours and homemade treats, as well as live entertainment, craft stalls and children's fun-fair rides. It's set to be a fun day out for the entire family!

The Bramley Apple Festival takes place in Southwell each year, the home of the original Bramley Apple tree. Dozens of stallholders offer all manner of food and drink including pies, chocolates, jams, chutneys, pickles, sausages and much much more! They also host live cookery demonstrations and children's activities. 

The Festival of Food & Drink takes over Thoresby Park on Saturday 16th – Sunday 17th September 2023. The festival boasts over 170 food and drink traders as well as bars and artisan producers. The family-friendly festival also offers a wide-range of have-a-go activities for visitors to take part in, from wine-tasting sessions and cocktail masterclasses, to a specialist Children’s Cookery School allowing younger visitors to make their very own tasty treats, which in previous years has included pasta, butter, gnocchi and ice cream. The festival’s hugely popular Cookery Theatre will also return for 2023, with a stellar line-up of well-known faces from the culinary world.

Arts Festivals

Each summer at heritage sites across Nottinghamshire you can catch live theatre performances and film screenings in the great outdoors. Rally your friends, grab a picnic blanket and some snacks, and enjoy an evening under the stars in stunning locations. From classic Shakespeare and fun-filled children's theatre, to blockbuster movies and singalong musicals, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Click here for more details.

The Patchings Festival of Art, Craft & Photography takes place each summer.  Now in its 30th year, this is the perfect summers day out whether you are an artist, photographer, maker or you just want to enjoy the artwork - all set in 60 acres of beautiful Nottinghamshire countryside!

Like things a bit darker? The Mayhem Film Festival comes to Broadway Cinema each October, bringing an intense whirlwind of premieres, previews, special guests and midnight screenings with a horror twist. The festival's 18th edition is planned to run for four days from Thursday 13th - Sunday 16th October. More information and announcements will be coming soon. 

Nottingham Poetry Festival takes voer the city each May, with a diverse programme of activities, performances and events from the vibrant homegrown poetry community. From word walks and performance masterclasses to urban haiku, writing workshops, open mics and poets against racism, there are many ways to experience the festival. 

The Nottingham Comedy Festival returns from 3rd - 11th November 2023. Proud to be back for its 15th year, it will feature a wide variety of comedy including stand up, improv, sketch and more. Local, national and international artists will appear at a range of venues across Nottingham. 

Cultural Festivals

Returning to make the city sparkle, head to Nottingham city centre to celebrate Pride each July. Along with the colourful parade, street festivities continue throughout the day to celebrate the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) culture.

The Nottingham Mela Festival comes to Nottingham each September for a weekend full of music, dance, poetry, family friendly events, storytelling, workshops, art, giant puppets and more at this amazing South Asian festival. As well as working with local schools, the event will showcase local creatives and talent. Whether you want a party atmosphere or to chill out with something more relaxing - there is something for everyone!

Stay tuned for Nottinghamshire's involvement in the 2023 Heritage Open Days events, which presents a wide range of free tours, events and activities which bring to life local history and culture. Heritage Open Days is England's largest festival of history and culture.

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While the finer details of many of these festivals are yet to be announced, we suggest you stick them in the calendar and keep checking back on our website for information on ticketing, line-ups and dates. There are more festivals throughout the county so have a look at the What’s On guide and don’t forget to share your photos of yourself enjoying Nottinghamshire’s fantastic culture - use the tag #LoveNotts throughout social media!