Young Hustlers 2026 'Mash it Up'

Young Hustlers is back on Sunday 25 October, running from 11am to 5pm across 12 venues in Hockley and Sneinton Market. It's a family arts festival built for children aged 0–16, with a programme of live performances, interactive workshops and social gatherings led by local artists. A single wristband gets you into everything on the day, so you can drift between the different sites rather than sticking to one spot.

This year's edition is called Mash it Up, and it's the festival's ninth. The theme is cultural fusion and identity, mashing together musical genres, art forms and creative traditions. The activities spread across a dozen indoor and outdoor venues, including Montana, Megan Crooks Textiles, Surface Gallery and Fisher Gate Point. You'll find DJing and baking alongside circus skills and a Lego club, plus A Message For the Future, a multi-sensory art installation. The gospel choirs, theatre and dance workshops that usually anchor the festival are back too.

Young Hustlers first launched in 2017 at Sneinton Market and has since grown into a local family tradition, which the organisers call 'Little people, big party'. The whole thing is curated for kids, so it's a day where they're the main event rather than an afterthought. There's also a 'Pay It Forward' donation ticket available, which helps families with children with disabilities access a dedicated, sensory-friendly day of activities in the Lumini ahead of the main festival.

Tickets range from £0 to £11, and adult tickets have to be bought alongside child tickets. Once you've got your wristband, you can use it to enter both Young Hustlers and Hockley Hustle venues. It runs from 11am to 5pm on Sunday 25 October across Hockley and Sneinton Market, NG1 2DT.