The free outdoor festival Green Hustle is returning on Saturday 30 May packed with food, growing, gardening, music, literature, sport, eco fashion and a whole load of ideas and inspiration for living well.
This year, the community led festival is expanding out from the main OId Market Square hub to take over more green spaces in the city with activities at Sussex Street, Central Library and the award winning Green Heart, the natural wildlife space on site of old Broadmarsh shopping centre.
In Old Market Square, a brand new geodome will host the ‘Grow Yourself’ hub where Experian and E.ON Next will lead the way with hands-on activities including science, numeracy skills, and wellbeing activities. There’s also a chance to be heard at the Listen Inn, or get involved with local volunteer groups at the Action Cafe.
A long dining table will form the centrepiece in the square for everyone to gather round to enjoy food and conversation, along with creative installations, circus, puppets, crafty activities, a huge live art billboard and a lot of green things to see, do and learn. On the square’s fountain, a pop-up forest school and a community garden bring a splash of green to the city centre.
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust, Sherwood Forest Trust, Grow Notts, Green Guardians, Clean Champions and more will be taking up residence, along with artists, musicians and creatives to create a fun day with loads to see and do.
On the food front, there will be pay-as-you-feel food at the Community Kitchen; a new Pulp Friction refreshments stall, along with local street food, fresh produce, and handcrafted local bakes
The festival’s main second site is at Sussex Street, near Nottingham College, where there will be city gardening, community performances and activities running all day from The Pythian Club and Switch Up. Skate Nottingham will be offering skate lessons including a girls only session to kick things off and skate-ramp building. It’s also a great place to view the Slow Fashion Catwalk, where amazing upcycled outfits will be modelled.
Central Library is the heart of the literary action, the place to try some poetry, practice your writing, and imagine a new world into life, along with the ‘Library of No Returns’ handing out free books.
On the way, there’s a chance to explore the urban oasis of the Green Heart and check out the live murals led by ArtFest popping up all over the place, and the ‘bee highway’ and street art displays of Bridlesmith Gate.
The OakMobile, a theatre experience housed in a giant silver acorn, will transport visitors to a woodland glade where a storyteller and a robin enlist help to reconnect the threads binding humans and nature. Participants will be encouraged to explore the city’s green spaces as a result!
Further afield, the GOBS artist gathering is a full-day creative programme of workshops and performance at New Art Exchange in Hyson Green, and an exhibition at Backlit shows interior design students exploring sustainable materials.
Green Hustle CIC Co-Director Adam Pickering said:
“It’s all about getting together, sowing, growing and sharing the good stuff. This year, our festival is themed Sow Good because it’s all about seeds, sowing a million mini revolutions, and what we can achieve when we nurture our own and others’ potential.”
While Green Hustle festival is a one day event, the work carries on all year-round, supported by hundreds of volunteers over the last six years. It’s behind the planting of 10,000 local trees, including the 1,000 tree Hustle Holt Miyawaki forest at Woodthorpe Park, and 4,000 trees at the ‘Aspley People’s Forest’ on King George V Park, as well commissioning permanent public art like the Heron at their ‘Wilford Street Wildlife Ramp’ site.
There are loads of opportunities to get involved ahead of the festival from craft sessions with the festival’s decor team to Slow Fashion catwalk clothing upcycling sessions. These take place at the People’s Hall and Fisher Gate Point throughout May, check the Green Hustle socials for dates. All free to join.
Green Hustle is developed in partnership with It’s in Nottingham, Experian, E.ON Next, Savoy Systems, Nottingham College and Nottingham City Council.
Amy Holbrook, Social Value Manager, E.ON, said:
“We are incredibly excited to support Green Hustle for another year. At E.ON and E.ON Next, we believe it is vital not to lose sight of the people and places at the heart of the energy transition. Supporting the Green Hustle festival allows us to connect with communities, listen to their lived experiences, and give back to the communities that many of our colleagues are part of.”
Richard Donovan, Head of Social Innovation, Experian, said:
“Green Hustle is a truly unique showcase of what makes Nottingham the beating heart of the country, a place that Experian is proud to call our home. This is the second year Experian has supported the event, and we are keen to give everyone the chance to have fun whilst addressing some of the issues people have with their money, number confidence and reading – three fundamental skills that can make all the difference in life. It’s fantastic to see our partner, National Numeracy, joining in to help people improve their number confidence, and we will also be giving away 500 books to children as part of our partnership with National Literacy Trust. It promises not just to be ‘Sow Good’, but better than ever.”
Alex Flint, CEO, It’s in Nottingham, said:
“Green Hustle represents Nottingham’s brilliance in community and is a great opportunity to explore the city and its green spaces. We are proud to support this event which brings the city centre together in collaboration, creativity, and care for our planet. Together, we can make Nottingham a more sustainable city.”
Green Hustle Festival takes place from 11am-6pm on Saturday 30 May, and all activities are free and accessible. For more information, visit greenhustle.co.uk or follow @greenhustlefest
Posted on 30 April 2026
