Music Venues

Nottingham’s live music scene has been thriving for over a decade, with stars such as Jake Bugg, Sleaford Mods, Natalie Duncan and London Grammar all hailing from the city and bringing a flavour of Nottingham’s unique character to the world. But there are still countless acts keeping it local, with live music in many of our fantastic bars and venues almost any night of the week.

Nottingham is of course home to the legendary Rock City, but you can catch more big name touring bands performing at their sister venues of Rescue Rooms and The Bodega. For more offbeat and alternative acts, check out smaller indie venues The Angel Microbrewery and The Chameleon.

Nottingham’s modern art gallery, Nottingham Contemporary, attracts an array of eclectic international and national musicians to their Saturday evening programme of music, with more gigs often throughout the week. The brand new Metronome sees a diverse line-up of moving image, live performance and spoken word from across the country and beyond. To catch the best of Nottingham’s buzzing independent music scene, check out the gig line-up at Southbank City.

Victorian music hall The Malt Cross is a gorgeous venue hosting regular gigs, events and workshops, including Traditional Irish Sessions and open mics every month. Check out a diverse selection of touring bands at Castle Rock's brewery tap The Vat & Fiddle, which is starting to flourish as a centre for live music in the city. Or, if you fancy an elegant evening of dinner and live music, head to Peggy's Skylight in Hockley for Middle Eastern cuisine set to a jazz soundtrack. Further afield in Newark, at Strays Coffee you can catch live jazz at the weekend, best enjoyed with their delicious tapas and excellent coffee.

The Motorpoint Arena Nottingham has hosted world-renowned musical stars such as Sir Elton John, Oasis, The Who and Duran Duran and comedic personalities such as Lee Evans and John Bishop – with amazing stage sets and a huge capacity, this is the place to catch unforgettable legendary shows.

Throughout the year Nottinghamshire holds regular music festivals, including Forest Live, Dot to Dot, Splendour Festival, and homegrown extravaganza Hockley Hustle.