Nottingham local news

The gallery's free summer season pairs solo presentations by Augustas Serapinas and Chico da Silva, running into September.

Nottingham Contemporary has opened its summer 2026 season with two exhibitions: Augustas Serapinas: Physical Culture, the Lithuanian artist's first solo show in England, and Chico da Silva: And the soul is for the birds. Both run from early June to early September, with free entry, and are accompanied by the gallery's usual programme of talks, events, and learning activity. The shows reinforce the Lace Market gallery's role as one of the UK's leading free contemporary art spaces outside London.

Nottingham's Green Heart public space at Broad Marsh has opened as part of one of the largest city-centre regeneration projects in the country.

The Green Heart, a new green public space between Nottingham College's City Hub, the Central Library, and Nottingham Castle, is now open as part of the wider Broad Marsh regeneration in the south of the city centre. The space includes lawns and trees, seating, areas for children to play, and room for outdoor events, transforming what was once a covered shopping centre into open public realm. It sits alongside the recently completed Central Library and the Broadmarsh bus station and car park, and forms part of a long-term programme intended to bring new homes, workspace, and jobs to the area. The Green Heart has since been recognised in national landscape and public realm awards.

Following a £30 million redevelopment, Nottingham Castle is now run as part of the city council's museum operations.

Nottingham Castle reopened in June 2023 after a major redevelopment, and is now operated as part of Nottingham City Council's museum service following the closure of the independent trust that previously ran it. The site combines the ducal mansion and its galleries with the medieval caves, the grounds, and the Robin Hood Adventures experience, telling the story of the city's rebellions, its lace industry, and its most famous legend. It remains one of Nottingham's anchor visitor attractions, with a year-round programme of exhibitions and outdoor events in the castle grounds.

Refurbished avenues at Sneinton Market have created studio and workshop space for makers, designers, and independent food businesses.

Sneinton Market's avenues — the rows of single-storey units beside the historic market square — have been refurbished into workspace for creative and independent businesses, supported by European Regional Development Fund money and Nottingham City Council investment. The result is a growing community of studios, makers, designers, and food and drink traders alongside the market's traditional stalls. The transformation has made Sneinton one of the city's most distinctive small-business neighbourhoods and a regular destination for independent shopping, street food, and events.