Liverpool Irish Festival is all about bringing Liverpool and Ireland closer together through arts and culture. The festival opens the door to Irish culture in fun, accessible and creative ways – from performances and workshops to tours and events across the city.
At its heart, the festival is about sparking conversations through cultural storytelling, blending tradition with contemporary creativity. It’s a celebration of Ireland’s many sides, proudly challenging assumptions along the way.
This year’s theme is ‘arrivals’, shining a light on the contributions of Liverpool’s Irish community.
Here are just a few highlights from the 2025 programme:
Reveal: Book and Documentary Launch – Boxpark (13 October)
This special preview to launch the festival also presents the exclusive first screening of their new documentary and the debut of their long-awaited book, Reveal. Three years in the making, this evening marks a milestone moment for Liverpool Irish Festival.
Documenting the 2024 Walk of the Bronze Shoes — a pilgrimage from Strokestown, Ireland to Liverpool — and the creation of the Global Irish Famine Way, this book and film capture countless hours of research, endurance and dedication from our remarkable walkers and researchers.
#LIF2025 Launch – Liverpool Irish Centre (16 October)
Meet the Festival team and artists at the #LIF2025 Launch, hear about the programme and meet with friends. The Centre, the spiritual home of the Irish community in Liverpool, provides a convivial space in which to toast ‘fáilte’ (welcome) to all those who join them, have helped them and will be there for festivals ahead.
You can also be among the first to claim your free Brave Maeve treasure map and meet Stu Harrison — the illustrator and storyteller that brought Liverpool’s real life Brave Maeve to 2D.
In The Window: Meet The Maker: Corinne Price – Bluecoat Display Centre (17 October)
The Bluecoat Display Centre and Liverpool Irish Festival’s 2025 In The Window: Meet The Maker is artist Corinne Price. This event provides visitors with the chance to speak with the artist directly, about their work, general practice, ambitions and achievements.
Centred on Corinne’s ceramics, which layer pigment into the clay itself, visitors will benefit from a guided question and answer session, being able to ask additional questions.
Queer Arrivals – Unity Theatre (17 October)
Queer Arrivals, staged at Unity Theatre, is a deeply personal, music-filled journey by Irish singer-songwriter Gráinne Hunt, exploring what it means to come into queerness – and into oneself – later in life. With original songs and intimate storytelling, Gráinne shares her experience of falling in love with a woman in her 40s and how that has transformed her understanding of identity, artistry and belonging.
Incorporating Gráinne’s partner Jules Stewart on drums and vocals, Queer Arrivals is a tender, honest, and powerful celebration of love, growth, and self-acceptance debuting at the Liverpool Irish Festival.
The Great Hunger 2 Hour Tour – Starts Pilotage Building, near Museum of Liverpool (19 October)
Join Liverpool Irish Festival‘s John Maguire (also of ArtsGroupie) on an expanded The Great Hunger 2 Hour Tour of several Liverpool Irish Famine Trail sites, including Clarence Dock – the entry way for over 1.8m+ Irish Famine poor – and others in the town centre.
Spectators will hear how The Great Hunger changed Liverpool’s streets, learning how locations were used for sanctuary, nourishment and safety. Along the route, sites of Irish influence will also be marked helping to show the geographic memory of these times. Walkers will also hear about the benevolence of Liverpool’s people and on-going effects on the city today.
The Druids – Liverpool Irish Centre (19 October)
Irish folk band The Druids are back with another master show, featuring captivating new blends of traditional Irish folk music and storytelling. This type of performance highlights the band’s rich musical heritage, weaving together timeless Irish ballad songs with the powerful narratives that have been passed down through generations.
The combination of music and stories gives audiences a deep dive into Ireland’s cultural history, offering a mix of lively jigs, heartfelt ballads and tales that reflect the country’s folklore, struggles, and triumphs. Irish folk bands often use this format to connect with their audiences on a more emotional level, while also providing an immersive, entertaining experience.
Did I Ever Tell Ya – Liverpool Royal Court (22 October)
Join award-winning Irish playwright and actor David Gilna for Did I Ever Tell Ya, an unforgettable evening of storytelling at Liverpool’s Royal Court, as he delves into the laughter and heartbreak that shape our lives.
Through themes of grief, nostalgia, and the enduring power of humour, David asks the ultimate question: why do we tell the stories we do? A deeply moving and wildly entertaining night that will leave you laughing, crying, and craving more.
Welcome Home / Failte Abhaile – Sefton Park Palm House (23 October)
Irish people have made homes all over the world and Liverpool is no exception, being known as East Dublin, East Belfast and the 33rd county! Taking this year’s theme of ‘arrivals’, the George Ferguson Irish Dance School and Merseyside’s Melody Makers have collaborated to produce a Welcome Home / Failte Abhaile programme, celebrating what it is to arrive. Whether home is new or old, arriving there can be full of anticipation, expectation and nostalgia.
This engaging two-hour programme features over 50 musicians and dancers from across Merseyside. The performance takes place in one of Liverpool’s most emerald spaces: the ever-magnificent Sefton Park Palm House.
Family Day – Museum of Liverpool (25 October)
A festival-staple and must-see, at Family Day you’re invited to pop by or spend the day at the Museum of Liverpool. There’s plenty of activities to entertain kids (and adults) of all ages. The Armagh Rhymers return with their (exclusive to the Festival) Liver Bird story helping to understand how the First Nations people of North America helped the Irish during The Great Hunger.
The Bolger-Cunningham Dance School will give it their all in the morning, before the George Ferguson School for Irish Dance produce junior and senior dance sets, whilst Melody Makers and Comhaltas will bring their intergenerational group to play in the space. You’ll also be able to collect a Brave Maeve Tír Na nÓg map.
View the full Liverpool Irish Festival 2025 programme for more information.
For even more things to do in Liverpool and the city region check out our What’s On Listings.