Pictures: Mike Daish. Southampton’s BBAM Festival returned to the the Guildhall Square on Saturday, August 8th, bringing Africa and the Caribbean to life. It included a wide range of stalls, entertainment, food and more. See our photo gallery of the event. In Common is not for profit. We rely...
Features
Interview: Jennie Formby, former general secretary of the Labour Party, shares the hope she finds in the Green Party
Words: Sally Churchward. Pictures: Chris Moorhouse. Jennie Formby is far from the first person to leave the Labour Party in favour of the Greens in recent years. But she’s probably the only one whose defection has made national headlines. It’s six years since her time as General Secretary of...
Interview: Johnny Took of DMA’S ahead of album release and Southampton tour date
By Rhona Murphy. Pictures: Roman Jody. Australian band DMA’S will be releasing their fifth studio album simply called ‘ DMA’S ’ on 21 August 2026. In Common Southampton spoke to Johnny Took on all things DMA’S ahead of the release and the UK tour which is scheduled for February...
Interview: Cameron Blakely, star of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, coming to Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre
By Sally Churchward. Moulin Rouge! The musical comes to Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre on September 24th for a month, as part of its first ever world tour. We caught up with Cameron Blakely who plays Harold Zidler in the sumptuous show. I’ve seen you describe the show as inclusive....
Unity in the Community march was a musical celebration of refugees in Southampton
Words: Sally Churchward. Images: Chris Moorhouse. Sunday afternoon’s Unity in the Community – Refugee Celebration March saw some 50 to 60 people march in the blazing sunshine from Southampton’s Civic Centre to Mayflower Park. It was a joyous, musical celebration of the resilience of refugees and asylum-seekers and a...
Summer’s silent killer: why the world’s heatwaves are a global health emergency
By Ian Williams, University of Southampton Heat is no longer a future climate risk. It is already here. Across continents, high temperatures are being pushed higher by forces acting at once: human-caused warming, very warm oceans, dry soils, slow-moving high-pressure weather systems and El Niño conditions that have now...
Photos: Skunk Anansie & Garbage with support from Du Blonde, Southampton Summer Sessions
Photos by Rhona Murphy. Joint headliners Skunk Anansie and Garbage, with support from Du Blonde, put on an unforgettable show at Southampton Summer Sessions last night (23/6/26). See our photo special of the night and relive the memories if you were lucky enough to be there. In Common is...
Community heroes: Southampton Action, supporting refugees and other vulnerable migrants in the city
As Refugee Week comes to a close, Southampton Action is celebrating almost 11 years of supporting people seeking sanctuary in Southampton. in the our series focusing on charities and community organisations that are making a real difference to the lives of people in the local area, we look at...
March and counter-demonstration in Southampton go off peacefully
After the violent scenes on the streets of Southampton at a demonstration following the verdict in trial of Henry Nowak’s murder, the huge police presence on the streets of Portswood and beyond yesterday (20/6/26) was unsurprising. And it was a relief that the UKIP/Southampton Patriots vigil and march and...
Film: Obsession, Backrooms, and the takeover of Gen-Z horror
By Laura McCarthy. It is no secret that audiences have been eager to get lost in the Backrooms and are obsessed with Obsession. I haven’t seen cinemas so busy in some time. So, what is it about Gen-Z horror that has so enraptured us? Backrooms is the brainchild of...