Nottingham Festivals: the complete guide to the best tickets in town

It might not feel like it to step outside, but spring is officially here, which means that just around the corner is a busy few months of festivals.

Nottingham’s festival scene has flourished over the past 20 years. The result is a rich offering of high-profile gatherings bringing in the big crowds, to smaller, quirkier, local events reflecting the city’s alternative cultural side.

So here’s a roundup of some of the big ones to look out for, and the smaller ones you might not know but should definitely check out this year.

Castle Rock Yard Party

Castle Rock Brewery, Saturday 12 May 2023 and Sunday 13 May 2023

There’s a saying about organising certain events in breweries - something that Castle Rock undoubtedly knows how to do.

The Yard Party is always one of the liveliest live music events in the city centre, and while it doesn’t attract the internationally-renowned acts that headline bigger events pull in, it does showcase bands, many locals, that know how to party.

For two days in May Castle Rock will be jumping with real ale and music lovers, from its home a short walk from Nottingham Railway Station.

Sausage and Cider Festival

Wollaton Hall and Deer Park, Saturday 27 May 2023

The name of the festival contains two big clues about what to expect - but there is more than just fruity drinks and bangers on offer.

In fact Sausage and Cider Festival with its specialty craft beers, live bands and DJs, and food-eating competitions, is fast becoming a popular alternative to Splendour but on the same grounds. And it’s just over a month away.

Splendour

Wollaton Hall and Deer Park, Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 July

It’s the big name in Nottingham festivals, and deservedly so. Over the years Splendour has been headlined by big artists and acts including The Specials, Happy Mondays, The Pet Shop Boys, Scissor Sisters and Blondie, and has steadily grown in size.

That’s thanks to the fact that main organisers DHP - the family-owned company that runs Rock City among other big venues in Nottingham - and Nottingham City Council have carefully nurtured and grown Splendour from its original inception in 2008.

Today the Splendour attracts double the crowds it did 15 years ago, and for two days in July the festival dominates the grounds of Wollaton Hall. This year’s headliners are Madness, Rudimental and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

Foolhardy Folk Festival

Nottingham Arboretum, Sunday 27 August 2023

Proving that it can host events of all kinds, DHP Family, in conjunction with folk artist Beans on Toast is ramping up for the third year of alternative music event the Foolhardy Folk Festival.

This paid and ticketed event is designed to showcase a range of alternative acts - this year the lineup is headlined by New Yorker comic book illustrator and cult ‘anti folk’ star Jeffrey Lewis, with his band The Voltage, alongside big names in the folk scene including folk-punk band Skinny Lister, Ferris & Sylvester, and Truckstop Honeymoon.

Green Festival

Nottingham Arboretum, Sunday 10th September 2023.

Green Festival likes to be a little different from the mainstream music and beer festivals you find elsewhere in the city. The daytime-only free event dominates the Arboretum, and is as much a celebration of alternative, ethically-conscious and political lifestyles as it is about partying to live music.

That said, for one day the iconic bandstand in the centre of the park becomes one of Nottingham’s hottest live stages for local folk and rock bands. And in between sets there is plenty to do for people of all ages, and a wide selection of food stands with a focus on vegan diets.