East Midlands Tourism

Nottingham has shops to suit all tastes and meet every need. Big name department stores such as Debenhams and John Lewis; high street favourites like Marks and Spencer and Topshop; leading designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith and little independent bohemian boutiques are all just waiting for you to discover them. With over 1,000 shops covering 2.7 million square feet of store space the city is the perfect place to spend a day.

 

If you want to grab a quick drink, or take a leisurely lunch you’ll easily find a good place to eat or drink in Nottingham. From pavement cafes to rooftop restaurants and everything in-between Nottingham serves up some of the finest foods from around the world.  Nottingham offers a choice of modern bars and restaurants such as Saltwater and World Service as well as more traditional venues such as Ye Old Trip to Jerusalem, reputedly the oldest Inn in England. 

 

This is a city famed for its nightlife – with a good choice of bars, clubs, restaurants and casinos. Large live music venues such as Rock City and the Trent FM arena guarantee top national and international stars, as well as local bands.  There are hundreds of bars, ranging from modern cocktail bars to quieter more traditional pubs, serving local beer.   With all of this on offer it’s easy to see why Nottingham has become the regional capital for live music and nightlife.

 

With six galleries in the city, there's artwork to suit all tastes. The New Art Exchange on Gregory Boulevard exhibits African and Caribbean art and Nottingham Castle offers varied exhibitions throughout the year. The prestigious Nottingham Contemporary is expected to open in summer 2009.

 

Nottingham Playhouse hosts a varied range of dance productions as well as contemporary and traditional theatre. The Royal Centre encompasses the Theatre Royal and the Royal Concert Hall, hosting touring shows including West End shows, stand up comedy and touring companies including the Bolshoi Ballet. 

 

The city of Nottingham has a notorious past, from ancient underground caves and a famous lace industry, to the turbulent and dramatic history of the castle with its links to monarchs and legends. Most people associate Nottingham with the legend of Robin Hood - you can visit his statue at the castle and imagine life as an outlaw!

 

Head to Old Market Square, a focal point of the city through the years, to see a statue dedicated to Brian Clough the manager who steered Nottingham Forest to European football glory.  This is the largest public square in Europe, and hosts events, markets and exhibitions most weekends.

 

Sporting City
If you enjoy taking part or just watching – Nottingham is the place for you.  One of England’s sports capitals with world class venues like the National Watersports Centre, Test Match cricket at Trent Bridge, Open Tennis Championships at the Tennis Centre, football with the City’s two soccer teams, Nottingham Forest and Notts County FC and horse-racing at two top racecourses, Nottingham and the all-year course at Southwell.

Head to Nottingham for the Elite League Ice Hockey Play Off Finals at the National Ice Centre in April.

 

ICC World Twenty20 at Trent Bridge to see the top international cricket sides fight it out over a fast growing shorter format of the game.

 

Nottingham Contemporary is due to open in the spring and is sure to have some outstanding art exhibitions planned,

 

Visit Sherwood Forest for the Robin Hood Festival in August.