“I never thought of us as a post-punk band,” stresses Ben Hozie, singer and guitarist in the NYC-based band BODEGA. “I just thought of us as a conceptual rock band.”
This might come as a surprise to those who’ve been following the band over the last several years. BODEGA’s previous albums 2018’s Endless Scroll, 2022’s Broken Equipment, and 2024’s Our Brand Could Be Your Life, drew well-earned comparisons to post-punk icons like Talking Heads, the B-52s, Devo, and Sonic Youth.
“Post-punk is conceptual punk, so that lent itself to our thing early on,” says Hozie, “but at the end of the day, it’s about our songwriting.”
Truthfully, the post-punk tag hasn’t been apt for some time now. Our Brand Could Be Your Life, a rerecording of a 2015 album by an earlier incarnation of the group called Bodega Bay, was more inspired by classic indie rock bands like Pavement and Guided By Voices. Last year’s Rot in Helvetica, by the group’s alter ego NODEGA, saw them go in the opposite direction, delving into the sound of classic hardcore punk like Black Flag and 7 Seconds.
BODEGA’s new album, All Inside Aquarium, sees the band stray further than ever from these post-punk origins. The group’s goal was, “Let’s go back to melodic tunes, let’s be more of a proper rock band,” Hozie explains. Sonically, the band aimed for “this late ‘80s/early ‘90s Stone Roses-meets-Jane’s Addiction thing, with more riffing and guitar solos.”
Event type: Concert
corto.alto
Scottish composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Liam Shortall, aka corto.alto has had an incredible couple of years : his debut album ‘Bad With Names’ was shortlisted for the iconic Mercury Prize (2024), won ‘Best Album’ at the Scottish Jazz Awards. In 2025, he won ‘Act Of The Year’ at the Jazz FM Awards, public vote with Ezra Collective and Nubya Garcia the other two nominees, as well as UK Independent Breakthrough at the Aim Awards.
Now signed to Ninja Tune , he’s released two singles ‘DON’T LISTEN’ ‘VANDAL and ‘APRIL’ feat. anaiis which continue to showcase his natural ear for cross-pollination of styles. The tracks have received enormous radio support with over 3000 plays globally in less than 6 weeks as well as being on BBC 6 Music’s A-Playlist .
DON’T LISTEN’ was also included in the iconic ‘FC26’ soundtrack. This is music on his own terms. Music that speaks not just to his time spent as part of the burgeoning and fertile music scene in Glasgow; but equally to an eclectic mix of influences that draw as much on his affinity with club-culture and all its forms of Electronic Music, or to his love of classic Hip-Hop, Soul and Funk. Over the last 24 months, the band played over 150 shows, including West Holts stage at Glastonbury, closing the We Out Here main stage, headlining Latitute, North Sea, Montreux, Cross The Tracks and a sold-out UK tour culminating in playing to 2000 people in his home town at the legendary Barrowland Ballroom. Championed by Gilles Peterson, Jamie Cullum, BBC 6 Music, KCRW, Jazzwise, Fip radio in France and RRR in Australia to name a few, as well as the editorial teams at Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, ‘corto.alto has also built a strong dedicated fanbase across the UK, EU and US.
Country Superstars
Dolly Parton and Friends Tribute Show
Endorsed by Dolly Parton live on BBC’s The One Show
The World’s Biggest Country Music Tribute Touring Show is rolling into town with a spectacular, award-winning cast! As seen in London’s West End at the Adelphi Theatre where it was given a 5 star review, honoured at the Grand Ole Opry, and celebrated on Nashville’s Broadway, this internationally acclaimed production is a must-see for country music fans.
Described by Kenny Rogers as “Europe’s leading Dolly and Kenny impersonators”, this one-of-a-kind show is hosted by the star of The Dolly Parton Experience, Sarah Jayne, Europe’s leading tribute to the Queen of Country. With over 31 years of performances under her rhinestone belt, Sarah has even entertained VIPs on Dolly Parton’s last two world tours at London’s O2 Arena.
Joining her on stage is award-winning TV vocal impressionist Andy Crust, bringing to life the legendary voice of Kenny Rogers and more. Together with their daughter Lucy Jayne, this show is a celebration of family, legacy, and pure country magic.
Featuring 12 award-winning impersonations of country superstars:
Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Billie Jo Spears, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette, Garth Brooks, John Denver, Shania Twain, Lainey Wilson and Luke Combs all backed by the phenomenal Country Superstars Band.
Both Sarah and Andy have graced the legendary Legends Corner and Johnny Cash’s Kitchen & BBQ on Nashville’s famed Broadway, and were honoured at the Grand Ole Opry as featured Tribute Artists of the Year and on CBS Nashville and CH5’s Forrest Saunders Show.
This spectacular production goes far beyond impersonation. Every detail is thoughtfully crafted, from vocal accuracy and authentic costumes, to mannerisms, make-up, and stunning video backdrops. Even the voiceovers in the show are provided by Dolly’s real-life friends and family, including a very special personal message from Dolly herself.
Sing along to timeless classics including:
9 to 5, Jolene, Islands in the Stream, The Gambler, Annie’s Song, Ring of Fire, Blanket on the Ground, Stand by Your Man, Take Me Home Country Roads, I Walk the Line, Always on My Mind, Beautiful Crazy, That Don’t Impress Me Much, Man! I Feel Like a Woman, Crazy, Coward of the County, The Dance, Standing Outside the Fire, Country’s Cool Again and many more.
A dazzling, heartfelt tribute to the music, the superstars, and the legacy of country.
Country music will live on forever – a great night out for any country fan!
The Phogues
If you appreciate the music of Shane MacGowan and The Pogues, you cannot miss The Phogues. Keeping alive the very songs that defined the genre ‘Celtic Punk’.
Going way beyond a tribute band The Phogues diligently recreate the way The Pogues tempered Irish Music with subtle influences of Flamenco and Middle Eastern music on some songs.
The Phogues live performances will give you songs penned by one of the best lyricists of our time, Shane MacGowan, played by musicians at the top of their game, commemorating 40 years since the release of the first Pogues album Red Roses for Me.
“A guaranteed good night!” in the words of Shane MacGowan: ‘It’s brilliant’.
We have reserved four wheelchair + respective carer/companion spaces for this event. If all four sell, we will add more. Tickets are unreserved and on a first-come first-served basis, but we will ensure front-of-house space is available for those booking these seats. This is an honour-based system for those who need it. Please use responsibly. If you want to buy tickets for more than this user, please add other general admission tickets when placing your order.
Kíla
Some bands fill arenas. Kíla fill the air itself.
For over three decades, this seven-piece Dublin collective have been one of Ireland’s best-kept secrets and greatest musical forces. They are a band that defies genre, rewires tradition, and leaves audiences physically changed by their experience.
Having played some of the world’s most legendary stages, to audiences of thousands, tonight they play to fewer than two hundred. This is that show.
Rooted in the ancient pulse of Irish folk — uilleann pipes, fiddle, bodhrán, bones — yet propelled by djembe, brass, electric guitar and a restless, world-hungry imagination, Kíla’s sound is unlike anything you will hear elsewhere. It is furious and tender, primal and precise. The jigs hit like percussion. The melodies haunt for days. Their IFTA award-winning film scores — for Cartoon Saloon’s Oscar-nominated trilogy The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea and Wolfwalkers — hint at their cinematic scale. But nothing prepares you for the live experience.
Eight years since their last gig in the city, Kíla return to Liverpool to one of the finest acoustic rooms in the country. Every note will reach you. Every rhythm will find you. Kila’s Gaeilge will transform you.
This is rare. This is intimate. This is a band of genuine, extraordinary talent playing close up.
Resonating with this year’s festival theme, I Am Here, Kíla’s deep Irish roots provide precisely the kind of night that grounds you in identity, purpose and place. Don’t miss it. Truly, you won’t get another chance like this.
Family Day
A Festival-staple and must-see; we invite you to pop-by — or indeed, spend the day with us — at the Museum of Liverpool (Pier Head). There, we’ve a veritable array of activity 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 will bring their intergenerational group to play in the space. You’ll also be able to collect a Brave Maeve Tír Na nÓg map. The day puts the Irish of Liverpool at the heart of everything; the programme, the Museum and the city.
Plus there’ll be Brave Maeve activities for all the family.
The Family Day is sponsored by Tourism Ireland and held in partnership with National Museums Liverpool. As part of the Family programme, you might also like the Samhain Céilí (Sun 25 Oct).
I Am Here
Irish people have made homes all over the world, and Liverpool is no exception. It’s known affectionately as East Dublin, East Belfast, and the 33rd county. This year, Liverpool Irish Festival asks what it means to arrive: to cross a threshold, claim a space, and say simply: I am here.
Rooted in that spirit of arrival, the George Ferguson Irish Dance School and Merseyside’s Melody Makers have collaborated to create a programme that celebrates the many ways we come home. Whether home is somewhere new or somewhere long known, being there carries its own weight of anticipation, expectation and nostalgia. This year invited guests will take to the stage (along with some audience members!). Their presence will serve as their own statement of being.
This engaging two-hour programme brings together over 50 musicians and dancers from across Merseyside. They’ll perform in one of Liverpool’s most magnificent settings: the ever-emerald Sefton Park Palm House. A space that has sheltered and sustained living things for over a century feels like the right place to celebrate a community that has done the same.
Liverpool Irish Festival is proud to present this thematic collaboration as part of an ongoing series of bespoke programmes and a performance that is becoming a firm fixture of the Festival calendar. Grab your tickets whilst you can.
♿: We have created spaces for eight wheelchair spaces. These are linked with companion/carer spaces. To purchase one of these, please pick your wheelchair space (highlighted yellow at the point of booking). We will automatically save the seat next to your reserved space for your companion/carer. You will be charged one concession priced ticket for the two spaces on your selected row.
The Christians
Renowned for an endless string of soulful yet socially aware hits …Forgotten Town, Ideal World, Born Again, Harvest for the World, Whats in a Word, Hooverville, Words, Father, The Bottle and many more The Christians enjoyed huge acclaim in the late 80s and early 90s both in the UK and Europe and often confused people with their band name (in fact just the brothers surname with absolutely no religious connotation!)
Still headed by enigmatic lead singer Garry Christian (who very much deserves the Daily Mirror’s description of him as having ‘one of the finest voices in pop) who has only gained in vocal stature (and wit) over the years! the band are enjoying a revival currently touring successfully in the UK and Europe.
Currently embarking on a huge UK Tour playing their well known back catalogue and one or two favourites selected from newer albums.
Catch them on tour and find out why Chris Evans said ‘it was the best gig I’ve ever been to’.
Flamy Grant Live in Concert at Liverpool Parish Church
Call her a drag queen, call her a musician, call her an entertainer – but trust us: you will call her. No matter what the category, Flamy Grant sets stages ablaze with blistering vocals, bold looks, brilliant songwriting, and brave storytellingLiverpool Parish Church and Open Table Liverpool are excited to welcome Flamy Grant, the award-winning singer-songwriter and trailblazing drag artist from Asheville, North Carolina, for this special one-night concert. Flamy made drag history in 2023 when her debut album Bible Belt Baby reached #1 on the iTunes Christian music charts, earning her headlines in Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, People, and more. Too big for just one genre Flamy’s music explores themes of hope, faith, belonging and more.Beautifully blending her Appalachian roots with drag artistry and musical excellence, Flamy has stormed stages from Los Angeles to London, from New York to the Netherlands, racking up more than 1.5 million streams on digital music platforms. This powerhouse vocalist, intrepid songwriter, and shame-slaying drag queen serves up a therapeutic, theatrical experience that is fearless, flamboyant, and full of heart.‘Her vocals soar… A mix of Wynona Judd smokiness and Dolly Parton realness. Her lyrics sparkle as brightly as her rhinestone jumpsuit.’–Andy Kaufman, Music Connection MagazineBOOK NOW and experience the music, sparkle and joy of Flamy Grant live at Liverpool Parish Church.Meet Flamy Grant Listen to Flamy on SpotifyVenue accessibilityLiverpool Parish Church is fully wheelchair accessible, with accessible toilets.About the hostsLiverpool Parish Church and Open Table Liverpool are proud to present this special event.Liverpool Parish Church is the historic parish church of the city, a welcoming presence at the heart of Liverpool committed to hospitality, inclusion and serving the wider community. livpc.co.ukOpen Table Liverpool is part of a national network of Christian communities which genuinely welcome, affirm, include and empower LGBTQIA people + our families, friends & anyone who wants to belong in an accepting, loving community: opentable.lgbt Together, we look forward to hosting an evening that celebrates music, creativity, community and connection.
Emilio Santoro as Elvis: 50th Anniversary
2027 marks 50 years since the passing of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll. 2024 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist World Champion Emilio Santoro celebrates the legacy of Elvis Presley in a spectacular live tribute show.
Backed by his authentic 1950s band, The Creoles, Emilio brings Elvis’ early career to life, from the iconic Sun Records recordings and classic movie years to the legendary ’68 Comeback Special. Audiences can expect timeless hits including Jailhouse Rock, Hound Dog, Blue Suede Shoes, Devil in Disguise, Suspicious Minds, plus many more.
Emilio’s rise to international success has been remarkable. In 2022, he won the European Elvis Championships in Birmingham, completing a clean sweep of all major European Elvis titles and gaining national media attention. That same year, he earned the People’s Choice Award at the Niagara Falls Elvis Festival in Canada before becoming the youngest European ever to win the Images of the King Professional World Championship on Elvis Presley Boulevard.
Emilio also appeared in the finale of America’s Got Talent alongside Metaphysic.ai. In 2024, he achieved the highest honour in Elvis tribute artistry, becoming the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist World Champion at Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley meaning Emilio is proudly endorsed by Elvis Presley Enterprises.