Culture
Nottingham is a city always ready to try something new. Our open-minded attitude has nurtured and attracted some of the finest purveyors of food, entertainment and the arts.
Nottingham is consistently ranked as one of the top shopping destinations in the UK. You'll find all the major high street names here, sitting alongside designer boutiques like Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith. There are two shopping centres in the city centre – Broadmarsh and the Victoria Centre – as well as streets of high street favourites around Old Market Square and Hockley.
Island Quarter Development
The Island Quarter Nottingham is a 36-acre development which will house a new quarter for hotels, offices, living, restaurants and bars and cultural events, all linked by green space. This exciting development will enhance the food and drink and culture offerings in the City and offer opportunities for Nottingham to become one of the UK's most innovative cities.
NTU’s extra-curricular arts programme, Curated & Created, host an exciting array of events and activities for staff and students all year round. From art to music, creative writing to comedy, there is something for everyone. Find out more.
Food and drink
Nottingham’s popular dining experiences include traditional British pubs and restaurants as well as Indian, Asian, Polish, Italian, Greek, Mexican, Spanish, Bangladeshi and Caribbean offerings, at serving high-quality food at prices to suit all budgets. Nottingham's pride and joy, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, is widely considered the oldest pub in England, dating back to 1189 AD.
Highlights include Iberico World Tapas, which brings together the rustic simplicity of Spanish tapas together with the refined ingredients of world cooking, and World Service – which as its name suggests blends modern British cuisine along with influences from around the world. Looking for more upscale dining experiences? Consider a visit to Restaurant Sat Bains, owned by the twice-Michelin starred chef of the same name, by a chef whose passion for fine dining has earned an international reputation.
It says a lot about our cities love of entrepreneurship and welcoming attitude that one of the best places in the UK to find authentic New England cuisine is Annie's Burger Shack. Born and bred in Rhode Island, Annie visited Nottingham as a tourist ten years ago, feel in love with the city, and has been running one of its most successful restaurants ever since. You’ll find Annie’s in the historic Lace Market area of the city.
Theatre and Music
Theatregoers are well catered for in Nottingham with Nottingham Playhouse, The Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall, the latter of which having a capacity of just under 2,500 patrons. Nottingham’s music venues range from the large-scale Motorpoint Arena, to small and intimate gigs at The Bodega. These venues provide something for all cultural tastes, with Nottingham regularly attracting world-class orchestras, rock bands, dance acts and solo artists – from Stevie Wonder to Motorhead. NTU staff and students can even access discounted tickets for selected shows at Nottingham Playhouse each season.
Nottingham Ice Stadium
Nottingham’s famous Ice Stadium is the go-to venue if you want to practice your skating skills, and home to our highly successful ice hockey team, the Nottingham Panthers.
Two of our most famous exports, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, honed their talents her in the city and have repeatedly put Nottingham on the map. The two British ice dancers shot to fame in the Sarajevo 1984 Winter Olympics, winning gold and becoming the highest scoring figure skaters of all time (for a single programme) skating to Maurice Ravel's Boléro.
Interested in finding out more? Then check out Visit Nottingham for details on restaurants, entertainment or cultural sites.