Drag bingo, a spoken word collective and a legendary reggae soundsystem feature in the 350-strong bill performing across 30 venues for the epic all day Hockley Hustle on Sunday October 23. This will be the first event in three years after 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to Covid.
More than 20 tastemakers - including BBC Introducing’s Dean Jackson - have come together to showcase the best of Nottingham talent with every genre of music represented as the streets of Hockley get set to bring the noise.
Established artists are joined by the new kids on the block for a line up of real depth and breadth including Yazmin Lacey (DJ set), Ella Knight, Gallery 47, Rob Green, Joel Baker, BBC The Voice contestant Lyvia, Saffron, Jah Digga, The Most Ugly Child and V Rocket International and much more.
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The festival will take place across multiple venues from 2pm including Rough Trade, The Angel, The Bodega, Jamcafe, Hockley Arts Cafe and Bar Eleven. As well as music, there will be accompanying events throughout the day such as a silent disco at Broadway Cinema Terrace, and a Samba parade from Can Samba on the streets of Hockley along with light shows.
More than a music festival, Hockley Hustle celebrates the creativity in the city with Splendour Future Sound of Nottingham winners ALT BLK ERA taking to the stage at Bodega on Sunday at 10pm in custom-made knitwear created by the Sneinton design duo A3 Knit.
ALT BLK ERA said: "We're absolutely thrilled with the end result. To be part of a process where two completely different creative worlds have come together has been incredible. Who would've thought that NuMetal and knitwear could gel in this way? The designers at A3Knit are highly talented and we can't wait to show them their work in action."
Maisie Williamson, of A3 Knit, said: "We love the creative scene of Nottingham and are so proud to own a business in this city, we wanted to give something back while taking on a project that would be really inspiring. Hockley Hustle was the perfect way to do this as they showcase some of the best musical and art talent Nottingham has to offer while raising funds for charity!
"We thought it could be an amazing opportunity to do something unique and bring a fresh perspective to knitwear, challenging the stereotypes of old traditional jumpers and creating unique stage outfits for a band or artist... this is where ALT BLK ERA stepped in.
"ALT BLK ERA are the perfect muses, their music is so fresh and unlike anything we had heard before. We loved their energy and what the music was about. It's not very often that trap metal music and knitwear meet. They have been so much fun to design for and work with. We are really proud of this collaboration and the outfits we have produced, we really hope the audience love them and enjoy watching ALT BLK ERA as much as we do."
There will be street food on Heathcoat Street and Hockley Helles Lager is supporting the festival with their long-term partner, Castle Rock Brewery. Proceeds from the Hockey Hustle will support local charities including Imara, Base 51, Emmanuel House, BME Cancer Communities and a Nottingham food bank. The festival has a long history in the city centre spanning 15 years and has managed to raise more than £200,000 for charity from the sale of tickets and merchandise.
Punters can get up to speed with the acts thanks to a brand new collaboration with Spotify that sees Hockley Hustle taking over the We Are Nottingham playlist. The streaming platform has joined forces with the festival in recognition of the work it does with Nottingham artists, and is featuring 50 songs from artists playing the festival.
Ben Welch, Hockley Hustle said: “This is a real celebration of the DIY scene and we’re so thrilled to be working with Spotify to shine a light on the energy and talent we have right here in the city. So tune in and get set for the return of our epic festival for the first time in three years and help support some wonderful charities at the same time.”
Adult tickets £15, concessions and students £10 and Young Hustler tickets child (2-17) £3/Adult £8. Free tickets for struggling families are available thanks to support from Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID), the organisers behind It's in Nottingham. Tickets are available from gigantic.com.
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