Feast of festivals to sample across Nottinghamshire during the coming months

International artists from four continents will play starring roles at this summer’s Gate To Southwell Festival, taking place at Kirklington Lakes from July 3 to 6, alongside some of the UK’s leading folk roots and acoustic music performers.

Senegal’s “Hendrix of the kora”, Seckou Keita, will be one of the headline acts with his African Homeland Band, and there will also be a strong European contingent including Madrid-based Track Dogs, Barcelona World music stars El Pony Pisador and returning Italian duo Veronica Sbergia & Max De Bernardi.

All the way from America comes the cajun/zydeco Texan sounds of Ruben Moreno and Broster & West, featuring GTSF favourite Mike West of Truckstop Honeymoon together with Canadian songwriter Nick Broster.

Top Aussie performers Hat Fitz & Cara return to GTSF, performing their rich mix of delta blues, folk and traditional Celtic styles, and acclaimed Australian songstress Lucy Gallant will bring her colourful brand of folk pop.

Led by English folk hero Richard Thompson – the famous Fairport Convention guitarist and celebrated singer-songwriter – UK stars will include Alabama 3, Katharine Priddy, Skinny Lister, Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings, The Magpies (featuring Bella Gafney, Holly Brandon and Ellie Gowers), The Rosie Hood Band, Sam Kelly & Jamie Francis, Banter, Sam Carter, up-and-coming five piece Evolution of Fishermen and the alt-folk of Common Culture from Barnsley.

GTSF is extremely family-friendly and has its very own children's area which has lots of activities and entertainment.

Children under 12 get in free with a paying adult. The festival is running a free drop-in event for families to get a little taster of what GTSF has to offer. The event will take place at Southwell Library between 10am and midday on Saturday, March 22. Families are welcome to join in with arts and crafts, parachute play, Becky Bops Music and Movement, storytelling, and more.

For tickets and more information go to https://www.gtsf.uk

A huge weekend of live music has been announced for the return of Nottingham’s Splendour Festival with top names galore taking part.

Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Travis and Jake Bugg will headline Splendour, held at Wollaton Hall, Nottingham, on July 19 and 20, along with Clean Bandit, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Natasha Bedingfield, Echo & The Bunnymen, Seasick Steve, The Levellers, The Fratellis and many more.

Spanning six stages across the scenic deer park of Nottingham’s historic venue, the eclectic line-up for the weekender also features Kingfishr, Cardinals, Elvana, Kezia Gill, Brooke Combe, Overpass, Lyvia, The Publics, Pentire, Vicky McClure’s Our Dementia Choir, The Amy Winehouse Band, TSSFU, Tom A. Smith and more, still to be announced.

Dedicated festival coaches will be running from major cities and towns across the Midlands to complement Nottingham’s well-connected rail network and amplify the festival’s regional appeal.

Splendour Festival prides itself on drawing talent from international and national pools, bringing household names to the East Midlands while also supporting and nurturing the emerging artists that keep the local music scene thriving.

Since Splendour began in 2008, more than 150 artists from the region have been given the opportunity to play to thousands of people, with the coveted opening main stage slot reserved for the most deserving local act via the ongoing collaboration with emerging talent platform Future Sound of Nottingham.

Day tickets have now been released starting from £69 plus booking fee for general admission. The festival is again offering a lower-priced Youth ticket option for 11 to 17 year olds, and free entry for children aged 10 and under (with a ticket). All under 18s to be accompanied by an adult.

For all the latest ticket information, go to www.splendourfestival.com

Before then, the Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall is proud to announce this year's highly anticipated Playmaking Festival, a vibrant celebration of Shakespeare, now in its seventh year.

This summer, young people will bring Shakespeare storytelling to life as they take to the Theatre Royal stage with their own unique adaptation of Macbeth.

Partnering with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) as part of its national schools partnership programme, the Associate Schools Programme, TRCH will work with eight schools to develop this thrilling production.

Under the guidance of TRCH’s Shakespeare specialist and an RSC Associate Learning Practitioner, students and staff will engage in RSC Rehearsal Room techniques, creative devising, and a six-month exploration of the text, culminating in an unforgettable two-day festival.

On July 7 and 8, the schools involved will experience the full magic of theatre with technical and dress rehearsals with the venue’s in-house professionals, followed by a performance in the Theatre Royal’s stunning Victorian auditorium, which marks its 160th anniversary this year.

More than 1,100 audience members, including families, friends, and school communities – who can attend for free – will witness the next generation of performers bring Shakespeare’s dark and gripping tragedy to life.

See www.trch.co.uk for more.

For music fans in the area, Dot To Dot Festival returns to a number of venues across Nottingham in May.

The Horrors, Fat Dog, Sprints, Kate Bollinger, Lapsley and more than 30 of the hottest emerging artists of the moment are all heading to Nottingham stages on May 25.

Following their hugely successful 2024 event, winning Best Metropolitan Festival at the 2023 Festival Awards, and receiving a nomination for the same award once again in 2024, the festival returns for its 20th year.

Other acts already revealed for Dot To Dot include Adore, Ain’t, Baobei, Basht, Bradley Marshall, Bruise Control, Cardinals, Daste, Dog Race, Etham Tasch, Girlband!, Good Health Good Wealth, Hello Mary, Holly Head, Jasmine.4.T, JD Cliffe Keo, and Ladylike.

You can also see appearances from Lunar Vacation, Lyam, Monster Florence, Nectar Woode, No Windows and Oreglo.

Venues involved in the festival include Rock City, Rescue Rooms, Metronome, Rough Trade and The Bodega.

For more on tickets for the Nottingham leg, go to www.alttickets.com

Families will look forward to the return of Gloworm Festival at Thoresby Park on August 8 to 10.

The festival will deliver an unforgettable weekend brimming with entertainment, activities and magic for families with young children.

Known for its unique all-inclusive approach, Gloworm ensures that all entertainment and activities are included in the ticket price, making it easier for families to budget and fully immerse themselves in the experience.

The organisers have also taken the decision to reduce the price of the family tickets to £450 (down from £540) to keep the festival as affordable to as many families as possible. This price will be frozen for the 2025 edition.

The weekend experience has been further enhanced for 2025 with the legendary Paul Chuckle kicking off Friday’s entertainment with an epic DJ set exclusively for campers, glampers and park and pitch Glowormers.

On Saturday, The Killerz, the world’s leading tribute to The Killers, will deliver an electrifying performance.

Sunday’s headliners include Arctic Roll, performing hits by the Arctic Monkeys, alongside the iconic Dene Michael of Black Lace, who will have everyone singing and dancing along to timeless classics.

Other unmissable acts include Rozalla and Do It Like Dua.

Beloved characters Zippy & George and Bodger and Badger will also be on hand for meet-and-greets throughout the weekend, providing moments of nostalgia and joy for attendees of all ages.

CBeebies favourites Justin Fletcher and Andy and the Odd Socks are sure to be popular with all attendees, while the West End Kids will showcase their talents with a fantastic performance.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.glowormfestival.co.uk.

Finally, Newstead Abbey is to host the Could Be Real Tribute Festival on July 4 and the Wonderland Festival (formerly known as Woodland Disco Festival) on July 5.

Could Be Real Tribute Festival and Wonderland Festival promise an unforgettable weekend of live music, iconic performances, and an incredible atmosphere, making this a fantastic summer showcase.

The spectacular line-up of top tribute acts appearing on July 4 will include ABBA Revival, Hometown Glory (Adele tribute), Laura Jayne Butler (Amy Winehouse tribute), Blurb, Fleetwood Machine, The Oasis Experience, Supersonic Queen and Brightside Killers.

From 12noon to 10.30pm on July 5, Wonderland Festival will transform Newstead Abbey into a spellbinding dancefloor, offering a woodland oasis for music lovers to lose themselves in the rhythm of the music and the beauty of the setting.

Leading the charge is Grammy-winning house music pioneer Roger Sanchez, whose iconic tracks and world-class DJing have defined generations of dance music lovers.

Joining him is the unmistakable voice of Heather Small, the powerhouse singer behind M People’s timeless anthems.

The groove continues with a lineup of genre-defining artists including Gok Wan, DJ and style icon, bringing his signature mix of uplifting house and fashion-forward flair, Trevor Nelson, the soul and R&B aficionado whose sets are as smooth as they are iconic, disco hitmakers The Shapeshifters, ensuring the dancefloor stays alive with their timeless tunes, and high-energy collective Melon Bomb.

For more information on the two festivals at the picturesque venue, you can go to https://newsteadabbey.org.uk/whats-on