The Spiegel Tent – a beautiful and unique historical travelling dance hall, which made its first appearance in Nottingham in 2015 – will once again be taking up residence in the city’s Old Market Square as part of this year’s October Festival, which makes Nottingham the biggest festival city in the UK that month.

Between 1 – 8 October, the hugely popular attraction will offer eight days of family panto, theatre, music, dance, comedy, burlesque and more – with Russell Howard headlining at the Just the Tonic Comedy Night on Sunday 2 October. (SOLD OUT)

Howard will be performing in preparation for his 2017 world tour, which takes in ten separate dates in London alone, as well as stops in New York, Helsinki and Sydney. Tickets are just £15 and, with a venue capacity of 250, it offers an amazing opportunity to see Russell Howard’s new material first in an intimate setting.

The magnificent Spiegel Tent is just one of the amazing events coming to Nottingham this October, as the city celebrates its biggest ever October Festival month. BBC Radio Nottingham is on board as the official festival Radio Station, broadcasting from events each Friday during the month of October.

Other highlights include Goose Fair, Hockley Hustle, Nottingham Comic-Con, the Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival, Robin Hood Pageant and International Robin Hood Day, plus so much more.  For the full line up visit www.octoberinnottingham.co.uk

Darrell Martin from Just the Tonic, said: “Just the Tonic are very pleased to be part of the 2016 season at the Spiegel Tent. Having brought comedy to Nottingham for over 20 years, and having worked in Spiegel tents during the Edinburgh Festival, we are delighted to be part of the team showcasing this beautiful structure and filling it with outstanding events.  We have one or two more shows in the pipeline, so keep your eyes peeled!”

Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture at Nottingham City Council, said: “We’re so proud to be bringing the Spiegel Tent back for what I’m sure will be an even more successful second year. The Spiegel Tent is the perfect complement to our already fantastic October Festival line-up, offering visitors a compelling reason to choose Nottingham for a city break this autumn and helping us to shine a national spotlight on our great city.”

David Wallace, interim Chief Executive from Marketing Nottingham & Nottinghamshire, said: “With such a diverse array of events for this year’s October Festival, we can expect to attract a record number of visitors to Nottingham.  We are particularly impressed with the fantastic line-up of events within the Spiegel Tent, which offers something to suit everyone, and will no doubt prove to be extremely popular once again this year.”

The Spiegel Tent will be surrounded by the Spiegel Tent village, a collection of artisan and vintage food and drink outlets. Spiegel Tent print sponsor John E Wright will dress the outside of the tent with an Art Nouveau inspired scrim.

Last year the magnificent Spiegel Tent attracted over 7000 visitors, selling out all of the events and prompting enthusiastic feedback from city residents and visitors.

Nottingham City Council’s Advertising and Sponsorship team are looking for businesses who’d like to get involved in sponsoring the Spiegel Tent – contact sponsorship@nottinghamcity.gov.uk to discuss.

Tickets for all Spiegel Tent events are available via the official website https://www.octoberinnottingham.co.uk and from Nottingham Tourism Centre on Smithy Row.

Spiegel Tent Programme

Saturday 1 October

10.30am – 11.30am: Circus Skills Workshop £4. Learn amazing aerial skills in the Spiegel Tent.

2 – 4pm: Age Friendly Nottingham Celebration of dance, with a chance to watch and have a go at Ballroom, Salsa, Modern Hop and Lindy Hop – completely FREE.

7.30pm – 11.30pm: Prohibition Opening Party £8.  Celebrate the opening night of the Spiegel with a Prohibition party with live music performances from Unknown Era, Bendigo and Fat Digester.

Sunday 2 October

10.30am – 11.30am: Tarzanna Aerial Theatre Show £6. A brand new show combining circus with traditional storytelling, original music and puppetry to create a fun experience for children and families.

3.30pm – 4.30pm: Ultimate Flyby Orchestra £6. Come and hear an orchestra that can morph into a salsa band. One minute it could be a Big Band, the next an Asian Fusion group or Hollywood Session Orchestra…

8 – 10.30pm: Just the Tonic Comedy Night £15. Enter into the fantastic Spiegaltent and spend an hour in the company of  hugely popular comedian Russell Howard as he tries out new material before a huge arena tour.

Monday 3 October

2pm – 5pm: Independent Fresher’s Fair FREE (students only). FREE exclusive independent goodie bags to the first 500 students to show their student card, plus stalls from Nottingham’s amazing independents.

8pm – 10.30pm: The Gilded Merkin Burlesque Show £15. The Gilded Merkin features the very best international burlesque and cabaret acts, handpicked by performer Scarlett Daggers.

Tuesday 4 October

10.30am – 11.30am: Circus Skills Workshop £4. Learn amazing aerial skills in the Spiegel Tent.

7pm – 11pm: Electric Swing Circus £8. Since 2011, the Electric Swing Circus have risen to become the hottest live electro-swing act in the UK. This stunning 6 piece is now established as firm UK and European festival favourite.

Wednesday 5 October

10.30am – 11.30am: Circus Skills Workshop £4. Learn amazing aerial skills in the Spiegel Tent.

1pm – 2pm: We are the Monsters £8. Come see the many weird and wonderful monsters with no two quite alike. The performance is a joyous journey into a world of wild imagination that is suitable for all ages.

3pm – 4pm: We are the Monsters £8.

7.30pm – 11pm: Gypsy Folk Night £6. Get ready for a fantastic night out in the Spiegel Tent, with live music from bands Maniere des Bohemiens and Hallouminati.

Thursday 6 October

10am – 11am: Jack and the Beanstalk £5. With a beanstalk that will grow right in front of your eyes and an actual giant who makes an appearance, this funny and exciting story is great for all the family!

2.30 – 4.30pm: Old Time Music Hall £6. This show has everything a good old fashioned Music Hall show needs – packed with songs and sketches to make you chuckle.

8pm – 10.30pm: The Gilded Merkin Burlesque Show £15. The Gilded Merkin features the very best international burlesque and cabaret acts, handpicked by performer Scarlett Daggers.

Friday 7 October

10am – 11am: Jack and the Beanstalk £5. With a beanstalk that will grow right in front of your eyes and an actual giant who makes an appearance, this funny and exciting story is great for all the family!

2.30pm – 4pm: Bless Em All £6. Let Pocket Panto take you back to the 1940’s with this fantastic variety show. Featuring songs and sketches made famous by Vera Lynn, Gracie Fields, Flanagan and Allen and a spectacular turn from the Andrews Sisters!

7.30pm – 11.30pm: Bamalamasingsong £10. Live band playing great songs that everyone knows. There’s no singer – the crowd sing the songs!

Saturday 8 October

10am – 11am: Jack and the Beanstalk £5. With a beanstalk that will grow right in front of your eyes and an actual giant who makes an appearance, this funny and exciting story is great for all the family!

2.30 – 4.30pm: Old Time Music Hall £6. This show has everything a good old fashioned Music Hall show needs – packed with songs and sketches to make you chuckle.

8 – 10.30pm: Just the Tonic Comedy Night £12. A night of excellent comedy, featuring Matt Richardson (host of the Xtra Factor), Stephen Bailey, Spencer Jones, and Jim Smallman.