Green Hustle is back — and Nottingham is about to become the greenest, most chaotic, most wholesome you’ve ever seen

The city’s free eco‑festival Green Hustle is returning on Saturday, May 30, and honestly, it’s doing the absolute most. Think food, fashion, forests, poetry, puppets, skateboarding, science, a giant silver acorn (yes, really), and enough wholesome community vibes to make you forget you haven’t watered your houseplants since Easter.

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This year the festival is levelling up, spilling out of Old Market Square and taking over Sussex Street, Central Library, and the Green Heart — the award‑winning wildlife haven that used to be Broadmarsh Shopping Centre before it became Nottingham’s favourite glow‑up story.

The square is getting a brand new geodome (because tents are too mainstream) hosting the Grow Yourself hub, where Experian and E.ON Next will be running hands‑on activities in science, numeracy, and wellbeing. So yes, you can finally fix your relationship with maths and your chakras in the same afternoon.

There’s also:

• The Listen Inn — a cosy spot to rant, reflect, or overshare
• The Action Café — meet local volunteer groups and pretend you’re definitely going to sign up
• A massive communal dining table — for eating, chatting, and judging strangers’ Tupperware
• Circus, puppets, crafty bits, and a giant live‑art billboard
• A pop‑up forest school and community garden on the fountain, because Nottingham said “urban jungle” and meant it

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust, Sherwood Forest Trust, Grow Notts, Green Guardians, Clean Champions and more will be there too, basically forming the Avengers of local eco‑groups.

Food‑wise, expect pay‑as‑you‑feel meals, Pulp Friction refreshments, street food, fresh produce, and baked goods that will absolutely ruin your willpower.

🌿 Sussex Street: The Cool Younger Sibling Zone

Near Nottingham College, Sussex Street is hosting:

• City gardening
• Community performances
• All‑day activities from The Pythian Club and Switch Up
• Skate Nottingham lessons, including a girls‑only session
• Skate‑ramp building (DIY kings and queens rise)
• The Slow Fashion Catwalk, showcasing upcycled outfits that will make you rethink every fast‑fashion impulse buy you’ve ever made

📚 Central Library: For the Literature Girlies

If you want to write, read, or pretend you’re the main character in a coming‑of‑age film, head to Central Library. Expect:

• Poetry
• Writing workshops
• Imagination‑fuelled activities
• The Library of No Returns, which is basically a free‑book free‑for‑all

🌸 The Green Heart & Beyond: Nottingham’s Secret Garden Moment

On the way between sites, you can wander through the Green Heart, admire live murals from ArtFest, and follow the “bee highway” along Bridlesmith Gate. It’s giving pollinator runway.

Also happening:

• The OakMobile — a theatre experience inside a giant silver acorn (peak Nottingham energy)
• GOBS artist gathering at New Art Exchange in Hyson Green
• A sustainable materials exhibition at Backlit

Green Hustle Co‑Director Adam Pickering says this year’s theme, Sow Good, is all about planting seeds — literal and metaphorical — and starting “a million mini revolutions.” The festival might only last one day, but the team works year‑round, planting 10,000 trees, creating community forests, and commissioning public art like the iconic Heron at Wilford Street.

There are also loads of ways to get involved before the big day, including craft sessions and upcycling workshops at People’s Hall and Fisher Gate Point throughout May.

And there’s some big names backing it

• E.ON & E.ON Next say they’re excited to support communities and help people feel confident with energy, money, and literacy
• Experian is giving away 500 free children’s books and running activities to boost number confidence
• It’s in Nottingham says the festival shows off the city’s creativity, community spirit, and green potential

📅 The Essentials

📍 Saturday, May 30

🕚 11am–6pm

💸 Completely free

🌿 Fully accessible

🔗 greenhustle.co.uk | @greenhustlefest

If you want a day of wholesome chaos, free food, forest‑school vibes, and enough eco‑inspo to make you consider composting, Green Hustle is the place to be.