What's On in Nottingham This Autumn 2026

What’s On in Nottingham This Autumn 2026

Summer has a habit of doing all the heavy lifting with lots of fun things to do in Nottingham. Long evenings, beer gardens, festivals in the park, and then suddenly it’s dark at six and everyone retreats indoors until spring.

Autumn in Nottingham deserves better than that. The season is genuinely the best in the city if you know where to look.

The beer festival takes over Trent Bridge. Comedy is everywhere. By mid-November, the Old Market Square looks like a snow globe. We make the case for every month of the year elsewhere, but autumn is the one that rewards you most for making an effort.

Here is what is worth putting in the diary between now and Christmas, along with everything Affinity has planned.

September: the fair comes to town

September is the handover month. The evenings are still warm enough for a terrace.

The city fills up again as students return. At the end, the Forest lights up for ten days. The Affinity diary is also busiest month before Christmas. If you have been meaning to come along, this is the easiest month to start.

Goose Fair, 25 September to 4 October

Goose Fair returns to the Forest Recreation Ground for ten days. One of the oldest travelling fairs in Europe. A good reason to eat mushy peas!

If you need plans for the Saturdays on either side, check out our things to do in Nottingham this weekend guide.

What Affinity has on in September

The month is close to full already.

October: beer, bands and things that go bump

October is the month Nottingham stops pretending it is still summer and looks forward to the long cosy nights. Four days of beer at Trent Bridge and the whole city filled with live music for one Sunday.

Ten days of comedy. Halloween falls on a Saturday. October is the fullest of the season by some distance.

Nottingham Beer and Cider Festival, 7 to 10 October

Four days of beer and cider at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, with local brewerys alongside cask ales from across the country. Formerly the Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival, same idea, same enormous marquee. If real ale is your thing, you might also like our guide to the best craft beer in Nottingham.

Hockley Hustle, Sunday 25 October

One ticket gives you dozens of venues across Hockley and the Lace Market. You’ll hear hundreds of musicians. Every penny goes to charity.

Hockley Hustle is the most “Nottingham” day of the year. Wear comfortable shoes and just accept that you will not see everything.

Fireworks Night at Nottingham Racecourse, Saturday 31 October

The racecourse fireworks display kicks off the bonfire season early, with racing first and the display after dark.

Nottingham Comedy Festival, 30 October to 8 November

Ten days. Venues across the city. Internationally known names.

Plus new artists you have not heard of yet. They will be big in three years. The small room shows are usually the best value in the city all year.

What Affinity has on in October

Two on the same night on 16 October, so take your pick between the scare mazes at Twinlakes and live country at Raglan Road.

A Taste of Nottingham is one of several dates based at our partner venues. These are independent bars, restaurants, and hotels. They support Affinity members with offers all year round.

November: the lights go on

November has a reputation as the dead month, all dark afternoons and nothing to do. That is so wrong for Nottingham.

The last week is when Nottingham truly comes alive again. The light trail at Wollaton Park starts. Both pantos open, and Winter Wonderland takes over the square. Get through the first fortnight and the rest is a run of good nights all the way to New Year.

Winter Wonderland, Old Market Square

The ice rink, observation wheel, ice bar and market stalls usually arrive at Old Market Square in mid-November. They stay until New Year’s Eve. Entry is free and Visit Nottinghamshire will confirm the 2026 opening date closer to the time.

Wollaton Winter Light Trail, from 25 November

The Winter Light Trail turns the deer park and the hall into a mile or so of illuminated walkways, sound and seasonal daftness. It runs through to 3 January. Wrap up as it will probably be properly cold out there!

Panto season opens

Jack and the Beanstalk opens at the Theatre Royal on Saturday 28 November and runs to 3 January. Over at the Playhouse, Aladdin runs from 27 November to 16 January, written and directed by Adam Penford. Both sell out. Best to book in October.

What Affinity has on in November

The Lace Market is a great excuse to make an evening of it. The area is home to several of the city’s best independent wine bars. We’re confirming more November dates as we go, so keep an eye on the diary. If there is something you would like to see on there, tell us.

December: the highlight of the year

December is the one month where you barely have to plan.

The concert hall has something on almost every night. The pantos are in full swing. The light trail is still running.

The only real risk is spending the whole month at work dos!

Music and concerts

The Royal Concert Hall has a strong run of festive nights. Love Actually in Concert on 10 December pairs the film with a live orchestra.

Christmas at the Musicals brings West End and Broadway numbers on 17 December.

Kate Rusby at Christmas closes things out on 18 December with South Yorkshire carols. It is a genuinely lovely night, even if folk is not usually your thing.

Ding Dong Merrily and Die runs from 28 November to 19 December.

An immersive murder mystery takes place at the National Justice Museum. It runs on selected dates through December. If you came to our murder mystery at the same venue in August, you already know the building does half the work.

The Snowsmith at Lakeside Arts, 5 December to 3 January

Beeston’s Lakeside Arts puts on a proper Christmas show every year.

Still going from November

Winter Wonderland is in full swing in the Old Market Square all month.

The Wollaton Winter Light Trail runs until 3 January.

Both pantos are on nightly.

What Affinity has on in December

  • Pete Tong Ibiza Classics at the Motorpoint Arena, Thursday 10 December. An eighty piece orchestra playing the tunes you danced to in your twenties, which is a wonderful experience.
  • Affinity Christmas Party, Saturday 12 December. Venue TBC but add the date in your diary now!

Between those two, the city does the rest of the work for you. Winter Wonderland, a proper Sunday roast somewhere with a fire going and the Christmas markets.

Making the most of it

The difference between a good autumn and a flat one usually comes down to one thing, which is having something in the diary. Once the clocks go back it is effortless to get to February having done nothing but work and telly. Nottingham offers no shortage of fun things to do as an adult; the hard part is having someone to do them with.

If you are new to the city, or you have lived here for twenty years and your social circle has shrunk, this is the season to act. Our members come along on their own all the time. Nobody stands in a corner for long.

We still add autumn and winter dates, so affinity-club.co.uk/events always lists the most up-to-date events.