Wow. Twenty Years.

Wow. Twenty Years. Two decades. Multiple kids. Several cats. Thousands of artists. And most importantly a quarter of a million pounds raised for local charities.

It started in 2006 as Drop In The Ocean — a handful of venues, a handful of bands, and a daft idea that a day of music could pay for something bigger than itself. It's grown, shrunk, evolved, stopped and started again since. It's been beautifully messy the whole way. Twenty years on, the daft idea is still the whole plan: one wristband, ~50 venues, ~400 acts, and 100% of the profits straight to Nottingham charities.

Going big for twenty

This one's on Sunday 25 October 2026, and we're going big. The biggest Hustle Parade yet. Our biggest ever venue. A 70-piece orchestra in a medieval church. Line dancing world records. From full rooms at the Palais to tiny packed rooms listening to an acoustic guitar — that's the Hustle.

We won't pretend everything's rosy out there — times are ever challenging and dark for so many. Which is exactly why we do this.

Let's raise as much as possible this year.

To the promoters, the venues, the artists, the volunteers, the families, the sound engineers who never get thanked, and everyone we've forgotten: this thing is yours. Twenty years of graft and JOY.

Tickets are out now via Gigantic, or in person from Rough Trade and Broadway Cinema. Swap your ticket for a wristband on the day and everything's open to you.

Ay-up to twenty more.