--- title: Hockley Hustle Celebrates Two Decades of DIY Spirit date: 2025-08-01T00:00:00+01:00 author: "rhys@weareabstrakt.com" canonical_url: "https://www.itsinnottingham.com/news/hockley-hustle" section: News --- [IIN News](/news/) / [Promoted City](https://www.itsinnottingham.com/news/categories/promoted-city) # Hockley Hustle Celebrates Two Decades of DIY Spirit ![CAN Samba Parade 1](/uploads/generic/_1225x690_crop_center-center_none/CAN-Samba-Parade-1-Nigel-King-06.jpg) Hockley Hustle aims to raise £20,000 to mark its 20th year and support six local charities. **Posted:** Aug 2025 --- The music and arts charity festival takes place on **Sunday 25 October 2026** with 500 acts across 50 bars, pubs, cinemas, chapels and galleries spread around Nottingham's independent quarter, to celebrate its **special 20th year**. Every October, thousands of people fill the streets and venues of Hockley and Sneinton to enjoy the **all-day festival**. From 70-piece orchestras with world-class vocalists to tiny little rooms packed out with people listening to an acoustic guitar, to streets full of Samba and silent discos, to choirs on Broadway's steps and beatbox battles in Bodega, Hockley Hustle brings together communities. As well as championing grassroots artists, local promoters and independent venues, Hockley Hustle has raised £250,000 for 27 local charities, from mental health organisations and refugee support groups to hospices and youth services. This year, the festival is asking everyone to help them raise **£20,000** to mark the **20th milestone** and support six local charities. Hockley Hustle was founded in 2006 as part of Oxfam, the UK-wide series of DIY music events raising money for Oxfam. The first edition involved just seven venues and a budget of £1,000. It soon outgrew its beginnings to become a full-fledged festival in its own right, and began raising money for local charities. **Founder Adam Pickering, said**: “*It was impossible to imagine 20 years ago that Hockley Hustle would still be going now. When 18-year-old me went running around Nottingham asking promoters (like our now-Director Tommy Farmyard) to host venues to raise money for Oxfam, I hadn't even been alive that long.* *“We knew the music scene was brilliant and full of love; Drop in the Ocean had already happened - and it only ever took someone to say 'let's throw a party for a good cause' for everyone to get together. Part of what's made it work for so long is the Hockley area itself, which has all the Goldilocks energy for a festival - the mix of creativity, independent venues, a neighbourhood feel. But the key element is Nottingham's community, how much we support each other, get together, and crack on with things. We might be a small cub of a city, but we roar like a lion. I wouldn't say we've got the best creative community in the world, but we're certainly in the top one.*” Sleaford Mods, Jake Bugg, Alt Blk Era, Natalie Duncan and Myles Smith have all played the festival earlier in their careers, with loads of new emerging artists to discover each year. And the festival has become one of the most important platforms for developing talent, offering emerging promoters a mentorship scheme and running industry days. **Ben Trekkah, artist/promoter/producer, said**: “*Hockley Hustle is our annual celebration of the creativity that bursts out of our great City. The one day in the year where all of Nottingham’s talent is out in unity together. The festival is so important in promoting the diverse offer of the City, building artists' networks and following, and as a general celebration of Nottinghamness. Long may it live - Happy 20th Birthday Hustle!*” One of the standout headline events sees the UFO Orchestra play in St Mary’s Church. They have been accompanied by many of the city’s renowned vocalists, including Liam Bailey, Natalie Duncan, Tiger (Divorce), Rob Green and Alfie Sharp over the years, with excitement building around the special 20th anniversary guests to be revealed. **Promoter Rasterella, Cultural Vibrations, said:** “*Twenty years of Hockley Hustle is twenty years of backing Nottingham's creativity, community and charitable spirit. The festival has helped countless artists, promoters and grassroots organisations find their feet and grow. Including myself, Cultural Vibrations.* *“I started my promoter path through Hockley Hustle in 2009, and I have gone on to create long-lasting platforms for ethnic, global and world music artists and bands, giving local and national talent a space to be seen, heard and celebrated. The impact of Hockley Hustle can be felt right across the city in the vibrant and welcoming cultural scene it has helped build.*” There’s always plenty of opportunities to get involved. Step N Groove will be leading an attempt at the world's biggest R&B Line Dancing flashmob**,** with tutorials on Broad Street before it all begins. After last year’s expanded programme from queer promoters went down a storm, this year will see even more happening from eight LGBTQIA+ crews. It’s not just all on Sunday; there’s also a **warm-up show on Saturday, 24 October**, from Channel One Sound System in collaboration with Our Yard + Brickworks, and an exhibition celebrating the festival from the very beginning will be running all week at Broadway Cinema. The venue has been the main Hustle hub for many years. Three specialist music films from artists and crews that have helped shape the Hustle are being curated in collaboration with Broadway to be screened in the lead-up. Hockley Hustle is supported by Arts Council England, Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, It’s in Nottingham and Gigantic. **Alex Flint, CEO of It's in Nottingham, said:** “*Hockley Hustle represents Nottingham’s brilliance in arts and is a great opportunity to explore the city and its live music venues. We are proud to support this event, which brings the city centre together in collaboration, creativity, and performance. Hockley Hustle has been going for 20 years, showcasing great local talent, and raising money for Nottingham charities.*” **Early Bird tickets are £15 + booking fee** for a wristband giving entry into every single venue and performance. **Student concession: £10 + booking fee.** For more info, go to [*www.hockleyhustle.co.uk*](https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwonderbee-agency.jmailroute.net%2Fx%2Fd%3Fc%3D52992121%26l%3D8cf0f676-c29a-4d77-8a60-1a818deec694%26r%3Dc2bfbbc2-1c26-4e71-b24d-25b7472033bc&data=05%7C02%7Cmary%40itsinnottingham.com%7Cefe9509ec5f14f01118f08df01d8c771%7C4bb4a28871484e07a0a11038dfd3be55%7C0%7C0%7C639231702738516133%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ytOt%2FEjLLW2j5B5cq3pTU3V%2FD04IaB6%2F%2FGVk0ZJbnwY%3D&reserved=0) ## **Download our app to find more amazing things to do and indulge in Nottingham** We’ve created the [It’s in Nottingham app](https://qrco.de/be9W9S), which is loaded with the latest shops, restaurants, bars, venues and events across the city centre - plus Google Maps to help you get around easily. 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