Author: Uncover

Summer’s in full swing and Liverpool is buzzing with things to see and do this August. From pop royalty and political Shakespeare to magical chippies and immersive art, there’s no shortage of weird, wonderful and downright brilliant events happening across the city region. Whether you’re planning a family day out, a culture fix or just something a bit different, here are 10 unmissable picks to check out this month.

1. Measure for Measure / Julius Caesar – Shakespeare North Playhouse (7 August)

Shake-Scene Shakespeare are back to present a Double Bill of Shakespeare’s Dirtiest Politics. They will once again be performing from cued parts in their own unique way. This technique requires the actors to work only from their own lines and cues – nobody studies the whole play, and the full text is not rehearsed before performance resulting in a myriad of hilarious, jaw-dropping and unforgettable moments – it’s Shakespeare Jim but not as we know it!

2. Sugababes – Salt and Tar (9 August)

Get ready to relive the iconic pop hits of the Sugababes, one of the UK’s most successful girl groups, when they take the stage at Salt and Tar in Bootle on Saturday 09 August 2025. With over 25 million records sold worldwide and a string of chart-topping anthems like ‘About You Now’, ‘Push The Button’ and ‘Freak Like Me’, the Sugababes are set to bring their electrifying live performance to Bootle this August.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just fancy a night out at Bootle’s thriving new Salt & Tar venue, this live show will have you singing and dancing to every Sugababes hit.

3. Flow: Free film screening for families – Heart of Glass (12 August)

Join Heart of Glass for a special community screening of Flow (U), an Oscar-winning animated film about empathy, friendship, and the power of community. When a flood disrupts a cat’s peaceful life, he must learn to live alongside animals very different from himself.

The event explores this summer’s theme, What Connects Us? — with food, family-friendly activities, and a creative workshop by SOLA Arts, where you can make your own mini dioramas inspired by the film.

4. Fakebook – Hope Street Theatre (13 – 16 August)

A bold and biting new comedy with great music, Fakebook explores truth, lies, and the masks we wear online. When real lives collide with digital personas, reality starts to blur.

Packed with wit, music, sharp observations, and plenty of surprises, Fakebook holds a mirror to our modern age of filters, feeds, and fakes.Written by Peter Farrell, Directed by Mark Holland with Technical Direction by Phil Halfpenny presented by Going Nowhere Productions.

5. Beyond Van Gogh and Beyond Monet – Exhibition Centre (until 15 August)

Beyond Van Gogh has returned to Liverpool this summer, following a hugely successful UK premiere in the city in 2024. Art lovers in the city are also the first in the UK to experience a brand-new immersive show, Beyond Monet, which brings the works of the ‘Father of Impressionism’ to life in truly mesmerising fashion. The unmissable multimedia experience is now open at the waterfront Exhibition Centre Liverpool. Beyond Van Gogh and Beyond Monet are being staged on different days.

6. LUMA Presents Latin American Culture Day – Future Yard (17 August)

Luma Creations will take over our indoor and outdoor spaces at Future Yard once again to celebrate the culture of the Latin world, with music, dance, art, workshops and a whole lot of amazing food. The event is free entry and runs from 12-5pm.

7. In Conversation with Ben Youdan – Williamson Art Gallery (22 August)

Join Liverpool visual artist Ben Youdan for an engaging talk exploring his creative process and the themes behind his striking mixed-media work. Known for blending collage, painting, printmaking and photography, Youdan draws inspiration from pop culture to explore identity, glamour and sexuality. His piece Mask is currently on display at the Williamson as part of Independents Biennial 2025.

8. Throwing Muses – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (23 August)

Throwing Muses return to the stage, having released their new album, Moonlight Concessions. Going back to basics, Throwing Muses bring their esoteric off-kilter best, courtesy of Kristin Hersh’s pin-sharp sketches and their suitably abrasive musical arrangements.

Moonlight Concessions is a collection of snippets from everyday life writ large – think overheard conversations, recounted happenings and telling one-liners, all sewn together to illustrate the times as they slowly mature, fully peppered with original Muses’ vim and vigour.

9. Sauce and Saucery – Liverpool Royal Court (Until 23 August)

Abrakebabra is just a normal chippy in the Swan. Chips, fish, scallops and donner meat all served up with a smile. Well, sometimes served up with a smile. Sauce and Sorcery tells the magical tale of a local chippy run by a wizard, a little sideline in spells and hexes to go with your meat pie. Grant is a proper wizard, but more Dumbledork than Dumbledore.

Get yourself to the Royal Court Studio to see Paddy Clarke’s brand new comedy that sees what happens when the worlds of wizardry and fast food collide.

10. The Secrets of Sudley House – Sudley House (until 28 August)

Take the opportunity to discover some of the secrets of Sudley House. Join their Participation Team for a family-friendly look around this wonderful historic home, and together uncover some of the secrets of the house and of Victorian merchant George Holt and his family. You’ll also find out more about Sudley’s wartime past, the House’s hidden safe and much more.

For even more things to do in August in Liverpool and the city region check out our What’s On Listings.

Founded in 1985 with a vision to unite communities in the North West through a shared love of Indian arts, Milap celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2025 as the UK’s leading Indian arts and culture organisation. Over four decades, Milap has raised the national profile of South Asian music, dance, and culture, building a legacy that spans performance, education, and community engagement.

Over the last four decades, Milap have brought some of India’s most revered musicians and performers to stages across the UK through a rich and varied programme of music and dance, as well as pioneering the teaching and preservation of Indian classical artforms in the West and nurturing some of the UK’s most exciting emerging talent.

Their story began in 1985, when Dr Prashant Nayak and a group of like-minded friends hosted ‘Indian Cultural Evenings’ in Liverpool – to enhance friendship, understanding and cooperation between the local community and people of South Asian origin who made a home for themselves in Britain in the 1980s.

40 years on, their dedicated mission to promote Indian culture in North West England has spread nationally, culminating in the creation and delivery of groundbreaking artistic projects, with a strong track record of producing world class performances, educational development programmes and workshops that spotlight classical Hindustani and Carnatic artforms and recognition at their National Indian Arts Awards.

Music and Performance

Milap have worked with countless musicians that are globally renowned for their craft. Notably, British Mercury-Prize winner and pioneer of Indian Classical and Drum & Bass fusion Talvin Singh has been championed by Milap since the 1980’s – first bringing him to perform at the Bluecoat in 1993, and most recently collaborating with him at INDIKA 2023.

Fast-forward to their 40th year, Milap presented GRAMMY-winning bansuri virtuoso Rakesh Chaurasia at The Tung Auditorium in March 2025. The distinguished Chaurasia family’s musical legacy has also been a part of Milap’s story for decades – Rakesh’s legendary uncle Hariprasad Chaurasia graced the stage at the Bluecoat back in 1993.

This summer 2025, Milap are welcoming bass virtuoso Shez Raja back to the Wirral for an electrifying evening of his unique ‘Indo-funk-jazz’ sound, alongside electric guitar sensation, Guthrie Govan.

Dance India

Milap’s flagship Dance India programme remains a globally unique space for dancers of all styles to immerse themselves in an intensive week of learning, exchange, and artistic inspiration.

Today, celebrated artists like Arushi Mudgal and Sonia Sabri are shining examples of the impact of Milap’s enduring commitment to preserving and celebrating Indian dance forms. Arushi Mudgal was part of Milap’s first dance production Swadesh, then went on to become a key member of the Dance India team and has since been hailed by the New York Times’ Chief Dance Critic as ‘one of India’s most remarkable dancers’.

Sonia Sabri has also supported Milap in her role as tutor for Dance India and is now a multi-award winning dance artist, choreographer and movement director. She assisted in choreographing The Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Milap have platformed both Sonia’s solo and company works throughout her career, including the 2010 grand opening of the Capstone Theatre in Liverpool .

SAMYO – National Youth Orchestra for Indian Music

Founded in 2002, SAMYO – Milap’s National Youth Orchestra for Indian music – has redefined the presentation of Indian Classical Music, by using classical instruments in a new context. Through SAMYO, Milap invite musicians and vocalists to break away from tradition to explore and push the boundaries of their instruments, whilst remaining true to their Indian classical training.

Former contestant on The Voice UK, Abi Sampa progressed through SAMYO and is now an Associate Artist of the Royal Albert Hall. SAMYO alumni Pirashanna Thevarajah has also taken his career to great heights, becoming a member of Pandit Ravi Shankar’s world tours and appearing on a GRAMMY nominated live album at the Royal Albert Hall alongside artists such as Anoushka Shankar and Jeff Lynne.

Jasdeep Singh Degun is the first ever sitarist and British Asian musician to be recognised and awarded a Royal Philharmonic Society Best Instrumentalist Award. He progressed through both SAMYO and TARANG as a young emerging sitarist and his career has seen him reshape the Indian Classical musical landscape. Jasdeep is now collaborating with BBC Concert Orchestra in Leeds and BBC Symphony Orchestra in London.

Arts School And Educational Programmes 

Milap’s educational reach over the last 40 years extends even further than their ensembles, targeting aspiring young musicians in the North West of all ages and abilities. A foundation of these inclusive opportunities includes Milap’s Arts School; a term time education programme based in Liverpool featuring weekly classes of Indian Performing Arts. Milap’s Arts School has allowed students to work closely with experienced teachers in a vast range of Indian art forms.

The local Merseyside communities have also experienced the lasting impact of Milap’s work via a range of workshops and masterclasses, offering people the unique opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge from the world’s leading Indian music and dance stars. This supported learning has ensured that audiences, aspiring artists and inquisitive students have all had access to memorable and inspirational experiences of Indian Arts for decades.

Festivals and Partnerships

Adopting a vision of ‘Uniting Hearts Through Arts’, Milap’s mission has been to strengthen both Liverpool and Britain’s multicultural society, ensuring that Indian Arts and Culture is accessible to their local communities.

Milap have made significant contributions to projects by Liverpool City Council over the years, including River of Light and most notably, the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 2017. This milestone celebration saw Milap present ‘The Beatles Ragafest’ at St George’s Hall, where world-renowned Hindustani and Carnatic artists explored the works of George Harrison.

Since 1985, Milap have also partnered with numerous venues including the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, The Capstone Theatre, The Tung Auditorium, The Bluecoat and Bundobust in Liverpool.

Coming off the back of a fantastic spring season of concerts, Milap are continuing the 40th celebrations with many more exciting performances and projects planned for the rest of the year. 2025 will also see the return of INDIKA – their bi-annual 15-day festival of Indian Arts & Culture in Liverpool.

As the organisation reflects on this milestone year, Artistic Director Alok Nayak shares what it means to the team and community:

“Milap began in 1985 as a niche festival, introducing Liverpool to some of the world’s greatest Indian artists at venues like The Bluecoat and Philharmonic Hall. Since then, we’ve grown nationally and internationally — but Liverpool remains at our heart. This 40th anniversary is a moment to share stories that changed lives, surprised us, and brought people together. It’s a celebration not of ourselves, but of everyone who’s shaped Milap’s journey. We hope it inspires new generations to dream, create, and believe in what’s possible — especially in a city like Liverpool, where culture and community are always deeply connected.”

Explore Milap’s spring / summer 2025 programme of events here.