The sun is shining (fingers crossed), the days are long, and the Liverpool City Region is buzzing with summer excitement. Whether you’re a music lover, a culture buff, or you’re seeking out summer festivals and days out, there’s something for everyone. From unmissable exhibitions to world-class music festivals and stunning flower displays, get ready to create unforgettable summer memories. Delve into our guide and discover the best things to this summer in the Liverpool city region.
Festivals
A Lovely Poetry Festival (30 June – 7 July)
A Lovely Poetry Festival features a variety of events celebrating poetry, including workshops, performances, and interactive activities. Highlights include a Poetry Slam with cash prizes, the Queer Bodies Takeover with LGBTQ+ poets, a poetry-themed bike tour, and family-friendly activities like “A Junior Lovely Word” for young poets. The festival kicks off on June 30 with a launch party at Ropewalks Square, offering poetry zine launches, food, and drinks.
Liverpool MakeFest (6 July)
Join MakeFest at Liverpool Central Library for another festival of making fun and creativity. This year’s festival theme is sustainability and Green projects. More details about this year’s festival will be announced soon.
In The Park (11 – 13 July)
In The Park returns to Liverpool’s Sefton Park for three nights of live music. Catfish and The Bottlemen are lined up to play on Thursday 11 July, with Liverpool’s own Jamie Webster along with special guests Red Rum Club, The Reytons, The Mary Wallopers and Brooke Combe playing on Friday 12 July.
Saturday 13 July will see an incredible night of dance with Cream Classical & Kaleidoscope Orchestra taking to the stage.
Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (12 – 21 July)
Liverpool Arab Arts Festival – the longest running festival of Arab arts and culture in the UK – returns for its 22nd year this July. Highlights include the “Port Cities” visual arts project, comedy workshops, film screenings, poetry sessions, and family-friendly activities. Key venues include Liverpool Central Library, Unity Theatre, and Sefton Park Palm House.
Pride In Liverpool 2024 (26 – 27 July)
Liverpool Pride 2024 promises a vibrant celebration with a variety of events scheduled in July, leading up to the main festivities on the last weekend of the month.
Kicking off the weekend on Friday 26 July, Pride Classical will feature a 32-piece orchestra at Liverpool’s iconic Pier Head. Showcasing Pride and LGBT+ anthems from the past 50 years, the unmissable night will be hosted by Danny Beard, the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 4, and West End star Alison Jiear.
On Saturday 27 July, starting at St. George’s Hall Plateau, March with Pride will move through the city centre and the Pride Quarter, ending at the Waterfront. Over 20,000 participants are expected, making it one of the largest Pride marches in the region.
The Pride in Liverpool Festival will feature live performances, food stalls, and various activities. Headlining the festival is Katrina, formerly of Katrina and the Waves, known for hits like “Walking on Sunshine”.
The festival is free to attend, continuing the tradition of accessible Pride celebrations for all.
Creamfields (22 – 25 August)
Calvin Harris, Fatboy Slim, Michael Bibi & many more will take to the stage at Creamfields this year. The renowned electronic music festival is one of the biggest and most respected electronic music festivals in the world, attracting world-class DJs and performers across a wide range of genres.
La Feria (10 – 15 September)
La Feria Festival returns to Liverpool for an exciting and innovative programme of music, dance, theatre and street-arts from across the Latin Continent. This year’s theme is diversity, with a rich and varied roster of artists from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Chile and Argentina.
Folk On The Coast (13 – 15 September)
The inaugural Folk On The Coast festival features Martin Carthy, Martin Simpson, The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican, Martyn Joseph, Jackie Oates & John Spiers, Mikey Kenny, Jon Wilks, Gilmore & Roberts, Joe Topping, James Delarre & Saul Rose and Jack Rutter with many more to be announced.
Alongside the world-class music performances, there will be many more activities to enjoy over the festival weekend including workshops, exhibitions, fringe and VIP events, all taking place in the venue’s multiple performance spaces.
Exhibitions
Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience (Until 24 July)
Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience blends more than 300 of the post-Impressionist icon’s paintings with cutting-edge technology and a specially curated musical soundtrack to tell the story of one of history’s most influential artists.
Sara Sadik & R.I.P Germain at FACT (5 July – 13 October)
FACT Liverpool presents two groundbreaking solo exhibitions by artists R.I.P. Germain and Sara Sadik from Friday 5 July.
Sara Sadik explores loneliness, love and empowerment through a fantastical blend of film, installation and games; creating worlds that sit between fiction and documentary. While, In “After GOD, Dudus Comes Next!”, R.I.P. Germain explores the concept of ‘false fronts’: spaces that look like one thing, but function as something else, or otherwise occlude some of their operations from general access.
LOOK Photo Biennial: Beyond Sight (28 June – 1 September)
Open Eye Gallery’s Look Photo Biennial: Beyond Sight features three impressive projects. Looking at stars and seashores, photo prints and urban lights, the artists explore the complex human relationships with nature and use photography as a creative tool for scientific inquiry and environmental advocacy.
Liverpool Art Fair
Liverpool Art Fair will celebrate its 10th anniversary this summer at the prestigious Royal Liver Building, showcasing local talent and creativity. During the seven weeks of the fair, a packed events programme will take place including creative workshops with partners Cass Art and a programme of events designed to support artists and creatives in starting and growing their businesses, in partnership with the BIPC (Business and Intellectual Property Centre).
Beyond The Beat (29 June – 3 November)
Sixteen unseen photographs of musicians from Liverpool’s bustling 1960s Merseybeat era will go on display this June – November as Beyond the Beat at Museum of Liverpool explores the music scene in Liverpool’s bustling nightclubs in the period immediately after the Beatles.
Tate + RIBA
Iconic works from the Tate collection turn the humble brick into the hero in Brickworks, a new display featuring works from the Tate collection at the gallery space at RIBA North. Featuring sculpture, photography and works on paper from the Tate Collection, this show explores the many ways in which this material has been used to make art.
Williamson Art Gallery
Into the Wyld is a festival of contemporary art at the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum by Material Matters exploring the continuing legacy of the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and its unique connection to the Wirral.
Bees: A Story of Survival (World Museum)
Bees: A Story of Survival is an immersive exhibition which explores the epic tale of these incredible creatures and their essential relationship with the natural world using cutting edge technology.
Things To Do On A Tight Budget In The Liverpool City Region
We previously wrote a comprehensive guide to all the things you can do in the Liverpool city region on a tight budget, where we detail museums, galleries, parks and more.
Outdoor Theatre
Experience theatre in the open air this summer with productions of Romeo And Juliet and The Hound of The Baskervilles Hamlet and A Comedy of Errors at The Reader at Calderstones Park. While Claremont Farm will have outdoor productions of Doctor Dolittle and Romeo and Juliet.
Days Out
Have a read of out previous feature 10 Family Day Out Ideas for some inspiration this summer, with the likes of Speke Hall, Eureka! Science + Discovery centre, Hilbre Island, Norton Priory Museum and Gardens and more.
Southport Air Show (13 – 14 July)
The annual Air Show takes place on Southport beach and is a weekend packed with entertainment. As well as the flying programme, there’s plenty of things to do on the ground. From flight simulators, static aircraft to explore, climbing walls, assault courses and much more.
The New Brighton Summer Festival (25 – 28 July)
The New Brighton Summer Festival is a free, four-day family event at The Dips in New Brighton. Expect live music, entertainment like Mr. Tumble and Disney princesses, a retro fairground, a pet village, and a sensory zone for neurodiverse attendees. There will also be an independent market, a food village with local vendors.
Knowsley Feelgood Festival (3 August)
Full details are yet to be released but expect a spectacular Feelgood Festival to mark Knowsley’s 50th year.
Knowsley Flower Show (4 August)
The ever-popular Knowsley Flower Show returns on Sunday 4 August for its 26th year. There will be competitions for all skill levels, from vegetables and flowers to floral art.
Southport Flower Show (15 – 18 August)
The Southport Flower Show, in Victoria Park, promises a vibrant celebration of horticulture, as they celebrate their 100th Anniversary. This year’s event features stunning floral displays, gardening competitions, and a variety of entertainment. Visitors can enjoy gourmet food, celebrity guests, and interactive workshops. With activities for all ages, the show offers a perfect family day out amidst beautiful garden settings.
Have we missed anything in this article? Let us know! Get in touch with Clare at clare@culture.org.uk. We strive to make our features as inclusive as possible, so we’re keen to hear your suggestions.