Nottingham Music Festivals 2025–2026: A Student Guide
Table of Contents
Planning your uni year in Nottingham? Good call, not only do we have the best student accommodation in Nottingham, but the scoop on the city’s best music festivals! Going to uni isn’t just about lectures and late-night essays, it’s to enjoy experiences packed with live music, colourful parades, quirky festivals and creative events that’ll add serious flavour to your memories. Between August 2025 and July 2026, we’ve picked out five of our favourite must-attend festivals that hit all the right notes: fun, low-cost, and super student-friendly.
Whether you fancy screaming your lungs out on a fairground ride, dancing in a rainbow-filled street, or just sipping drinks with mates in the sunshine, there’s something here for every kind of vibe. Let’s dive in!
Nottingham Goose Fair
The Nottingham Goose Fair is a centuries-old legend with a modern twist, and yes, it still involves actual geese (well, sometimes). Expect neon lights, deep-fried everything and more thrill rides than you can count. It’s like Blackpool meets Robin Hood, but without the beach or the tights. From spinning rides to funfair classics, there’s something for every adrenaline level. The 2025 fair is teasing a mega new music stage and some very Instagrammable food options (rainbow churros, anyone?).
Entry is free, and student ride wristbands mean you can treat yourself silly without breaking the bank. It’s hands down one of the most affordable student events in Nottingham. Yes, it’s fun, but it’s also a local tradition that’s been going since medieval times, making it ‘historic’ and ‘cultural’, so it’s important for your education to go 😉. If you spot the heritage corner, swing by for a lively story or two between candy floss runs.
Getting there is a breeze. Hop on the Nottingham tram toward Hucknall and jump off at Forest stop. From the Uni of Nottingham, it’s around 20 minutes by bus or tram. Easy.
Dates 📅
- Early October 2025
Location 🗺️
- Forest Recreation Ground
Nottingham Goose Fair
Nottinghamshire Pride
Bright, bold and bursting with good vibes can only mean one thing, Nottinghamshire Pride! This Nottingham music festival kicks off with a parade through the city centre and ends in Sneinton Market. From there, the energy ramps up with fashion shows, indie acts, and community stalls that keep the celebration going all day long.
Expect everything from drag brunch energy to spoken word performances, rainbow cupcakes to powerful speeches. Nottinghamshire Pride is one of the best free Pride festivals in the UK and a major LGBTQ student event in Nottingham. Bring your mates, grab a flag and dive into one of the most welcoming spaces in the city.
Loads of student groups get involved, so if you fancy volunteering or even performing, there’s room for you to shine and have a laugh. Plus, there’s something deeply satisfying about seeing your uni crowd cheering each other on down Lister Gate.
To get there, start at Lister Gate and follow the parade to Sneinton. From Nottingham Trent University it’s about a 10-minute stroll. Buses and trams are on hand too, so the event is very accessible.
Date 📅
- Saturday 26 July 2025
Location 🗺️
- City Centre to Sneinton Market
Sneinton Festival
If community vibes, live beats and homemade everything sound like your thing, Sneinton Festival is the place to be. Picture local legends playing music on the streets, dragon floats bobbing along the parade, and more street food than you can handle. The Sneinton Festival has got the heart of a block party with the creativity of an art fair.
This year’s theme (2025 for those reading in the future) is dragons, so expect giant paper-mâché beasts, fire-breathing dance acts (well, maybe not actual fire), and storytelling corners buzzing with curious minds wanting to expand their imagination. It’s easily one of the best free creative festivals in Nottingham. Whether you’re there to perform, volunteer, or just chill with a samosa in one hand and a sketchpad in the other, there’s a place for you.
What makes this one special? It opens doors. Student showcases, local collabs, and a genuine chance to help shape what the festival becomes in the future gives you an experience that can pay off for your career. That, and the fact it’s just a short wander from campus, only about 15 minutes on foot from NTU via Carlton Road. Don’t want to walk there? Then hop on the 43 or 44 bus.
Date 📅
- Saturday 12 September 2025
Location 🗺️
- Sneinton District
Nottingham Craft Beer Festival
Chilled beats. Refreshing drinks. Sunshine. What more do you need? Held at Sneinton Market, this laid-back festival is a student magnet in late June, perfect for end-of-term celebrations and low-key reunions before everyone disappears for summer.
With over 100 brews to sample, plus artisan snacks, live music and sustainability talks, it’s part social hangout, part flavour adventure. You can chat with local brewers, learn about the eco side of beer-making, or just kick back with a pint and let the tunes do their thing.
Tickets start at £10 – and if you’re scouting Nottingham beer festival student discounts, this is your moment. Book early and you might even score freebies. Pro tip: come with a group, split the tasters, and try everything but drink responsibly!
Getting there? Dead simple. Walk from campus or take the Green Line bus. Closest tram stop’s the Ice Arena, follow your nose from there.
Dates 📅
- 19-20 June 2026
Location 🗺️
- Sneinton Market
Southwell Music Festival
Feel like adding a touch of class to your summer? Southwell Music Festival is your excuse to dress up (or not), listen to some beautifully played classical and jazz, and bask in the historic glow of Southwell Minster. It’s a musical escape just outside the city, and a surprisingly chill way to wind down for the year.
The line-up blends big orchestra energy with intimate candlelit jazz, indie surprises and gentle folk. Whether you’re there for the culture, the acoustics or just to tick ‘classical concert’ off your uni bucket list, you’ll find it hits the spot.
It’s a brilliant choice for anyone looking for student-friendly classical Nottingham music festivals. Many shows are under £15, and the free outdoor recitals are a bonus. Plus, volunteering as an usher or events helper can score you free entry and behind-the-scenes experience.
To get there, take a quick 15-minute train to Rolleston or Fiskerton, then stroll or taxi into town. Loads of students rideshare too, keep an eye on your group chats the week before.
Dates 📅
- 17-19 July 2026
Location 🗺️
- Southwell Minster and venues
Final Takeaway
Nottingham isn’t just a uni city, it’s a festival playground with a little something for everyone. Whether you’re a thrill-seeker, a rainbow marcher, a beer enthusiast or a culture buff, there’s a student-friendly event with your name on it.
So bookmark this guide, rally your mates and mark your calendars. Festival season is coming, and Nottingham’s ready to deliver.
🎟️ Got a fave festival we missed? Let us know!
