This October, Nottingham will come alive with more major festivals and events than any other city in the UK. To promote this amazing offer regionally and nationally, Nottingham City Council has joined forces with Experience Nottinghamshire, Galleries of Justice, Broadway, Hockley Hustle, the Nottingham BID, the Creative Quarter, GameCity, City of Football Festival and many more. A new promotional campaign aims to attract more visitors to Nottingham in October, helping events to sell-out and providing a boost to the local economy.
More than 15 festivals and major events will take place across the city throughout October. Whether you love music, film, videogames, arts or football, you’ll find a festival to inspire, as the city comes alive with fantastic events.
From a week-long celebration of Robin Hood, culminating in a three-day medieval pageant at Nottingham Castle, to the tenth anniversary GameCity Festival, a celebration of all things gaming, and from a Family Arts Festival and various cultural venues, to the UK’s oldest travelling fair, Goose Fair, there is plenty for children and families to enjoy.
For beer and food lovers, the Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival at Nottingham Castle and the inaugural OctoberFest Beer Festival at the Forest Recreation ground in the city will both have thousands of varieties of beer on offer, along with great food and live music.
Music fans can get into the groove at the Hockley Hustle, a music festival taking place right across the city and top venues, and Rockingham, hard rock festival at iconic live music venue Rock City.
Film buffs can enjoy the very best in horror at the ultimate fright fest, Mayhem Film Festival at Broadway Cinema, and the Nottingham International Microfilm Festival will be screening microfilms at cinemas across the city, with more than 750 film submissions already received for the event from 78 countries.
New events for 2015 include a vintage Belgian Spiegel Tent on the Old Market Square in Nottingham, hosting various live events including comedy, burlesque and music, and the first ever City of Football Festival, celebrating Nottingham’s official status as the UK’s football city.
Hotels across the city will be offering packages and special offers for visitors to the city during the month of October, and transport partners will also be getting on board to provide transport deals to and from events for both locals and visitors alike.
Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture at Nottingham City Council, said:
“October will be a vibrant and wonderful month featuring Europe’s oldest fair, the brilliant and the tenth cutting edge GameCity festival, a showcase of Nottingham’s exceptional music scene at Hockley Hustle, plus a new week of activities to celebrate Robin Hood.
No other city can come close to the unique and varied offer to visitors that Nottingham will this October. As well as being a fantastic month of things to do for local people, our goal is to attract visitors from around the UK and beyond.
I hope everyone will come together and help make October a huge celebration of our great city.”
Jennifer Spencer, Chief Executive, Experience Nottinghamshire, said: “October is a wonderful opportunity to attract new visitors to the city for overnight stays, thanks to such a wide range of engaging events.
By bringing these events together under one umbrella, we’ll be able to raise the profile of Nottingham as the UK’s festival city.”
Find out more about October in Nottingham, the UK’s Festival City: https://www.experiencenottinghamshire.com/october
The major events for October in Nottingham include:
Spiegel Tent in Old Market Square, Nottingham
29 September – 4 October
A Belgian 20th Century travelling dance hall, made of wood and complete with ornate decoration and mirrors, will arrive in the Old Market Square in the heart of Nottingham, hosting events including music performances, a comedy night and burlesque shows.
Goose Fair, Forest Recreation Ground, Nottingham
30 September – 4 October
The UK’s oldest travelling fair, with more than 700 years of history, the Goose Fair is renowned as a fantastic event for all ages. With more than 500 attractions, from the latest white knuckle experiences to family rides and old favourites including waltzers, carousels and Hook-a-Duck, plus traditional Goose Fair food including mushy peas and mint sauce, candy floss and brandy snaps.
Halloween at Galleries of Justice Museum, Nottingham
3 – 31 October
Dare you enter the most haunted building in the UK this Halloween? Ghost Tours, Terror Tours and Spirits of the Dungeons Tours will be taking place throughout October, the perfect spooky experience at one of the UK’s top haunted attractions.
Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival, Nottingham Castle
7 – 10 October
Renowned as the festival with the world’s biggest selection of draft cask condition beers, with more than 1,000 on offer, enjoy the very best beer and cider in the picturesque grounds of Nottingham Castle. Fantastic food and live music are also on offer, to add to the festive atmosphere of this legendary event.
Canal Festival, Waterfront, Nottingham
10 October
Castle Wharf will be alive with working boats once more as twenty boats bring their colour and history to the city. Visitors can also enjoy activities on and off the water, including canoeing, angling, boat trips, craft stall and live music.
Hockley Hustle, various venues, Nottingham
11 October
A city-wide music festival taking place at more than 15 venues across Nottingham from cafes to art galleries. One ticket gets you entry to all venues, and the city streets come alive with buskers and live entertainment throughout the day.
Mayhem Film Festival, Broadway Cinema
15 – 18 October
With an international reputation, Mayhem showcases the best horror, sci-fi and cult features and shorts from around the world. Taking place at Nottingham’s independent cinema, Broadway Cinema, Mayhem features premiere screenings, short films, old favourites and horror-themed events.
Nottingham International Microfilm Festival, various venues, Nottingham
15 – 20 October
Nottingham welcomes the UK’s first international microfilm festival, celebrating the microfilm industry, which is a growth area for film making around the world. As well as industry events, members of the public will be able to enjoy microfilm screenings at various cinemas and cultural venues across the city.
Family arts Festival, various venues, Nottingham
16 – 31 October
Enjoy eye-boggling arts for all the family at the Family Arts Festival, taking place at various galleries and theatres across Nottingham during the October half term. From the theatre production of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt to a musical adventure at Lakeside Arts Centre, prepare to be entertained.
International Robin Hood Day and Robin Hood Week, various venues, Nottingham
17 – 25 October
Celebrate our famous man in tights with a week-long series of events and performances, kicking off with International Robin Hood Day on Saturday 17 October. See wandering minstrels and of course Robin Hood himself, as businesses and attractions across the city pay tribute to the famous legend.
Game City 10, National Videogame Arcade, Nottingham
22 Oct – 3 Nov
Europe’s biggest and best-loved cultural videogaming festival returns for its tenth year, taking place at the new National Videogame Arcade and at venues across the city, with the mission to get Nottingham having fun. Enjoy ten days of events for all ages, including workshops, arcades, talks and of course games.
Robin Hood Pageant, Nottingham Castle
23 – 25 October
A celebration of Nottingham’s infamous legend, the Robin Hood Pageant transforms the grounds of Nottingham Castle into a medieval village, complete with Robin Hood and his Merry Men, King Richard in his royal camp, living history demonstrations and jousting tournaments. On Friday and Saturday night enjoy the night time joust events, complete with fire artists and jesters.
Rockingham, Rock City, Nottingham
23 – 25 Oct
Three days of the finest melodic hard rock from around the world, featuring bands including Gotthard, Dokken and Eclipse, at Nottingham’s iconic live music venue, Rock City.
Nottingham Oktoberfest 2015, Forest Recreation Ground, Nottingham
28 Oct – 2 Nov
Enjoy a taste of Bavaria in Nottingham when the huge Oktoberfest beer tent arrives on the Forest Recreation ground, offering giant beers, German food and live music, making for a fantastic night out.
City of Football Festival
Dates to be confirmed