Event type: Dance

Katumba Halloween Carnival 2025

 
 

Every autumn, the nights grow longer, the air turns colder, and the line between worlds begins to blur. Halloween has always been about more than just costumes and sweets – it’s a time to honour our ancestors, to gather in ceremony, to transform fear into celebration. This year, Katumba Halloween Carnival reclaims those deeper roots. Their theme for 2025 – “Ancestral Spirits, Ritual Fire” – weaves together the diasporic origins of carnival with the ancient pagan traditions of Samhain.

Born from rituals of remembrance, resistance, and renewal, carnival is a living space where communities gather to drum, dance, and light the darkness with rhythm and spirit. By fusing Afro-diasporic beats with the fire and folklore of Halloween, the procession becomes both a homage and a reinvention. A living ritual that connects past to present, ancestry to community, darkness to light.

Every October, Liverpool drumming and movement troupe, Katumba Transforms the Liverpool City Centre into a playground of imagination, with performances inspiring, and engaging audiences by creating big, bold, visual shows through unexpected spectacle of drums, fire, lights, dance, theatre and more.What began in 2012 as an impromptu, small gathering of drummers springing up in Liverpool City Centre for a dressed up parade on Halloween, has grown into one of Liverpool’s most anticipated annual celebrations — a fusion of carnival, culture, and community spirit.This year’s Halloween Carnival marks the grand finale of Katumba’s Black History Month celebrations, as participants from their Routes & Roots beginner sessions join the parade.

Starting at Bold Street, making it’s way through Church Street and Lord Street before culminating in an unmissable finale at Liverpool ONE, the carnival will also celebrate 10 years of Katumba – Liverpool’s leading large-scale drumming and movement organisation, renowned for creating inclusive public spectacles and community programmes that blend Afro-Brazilian, contemporary and urban influences. Join them in celebrating an incredible decade of drumming, movement, and community.

This year, there are even more ways to get involved!Every costume, every rhythm, every flicker of flame in the Katumba Halloween Carnival is created and carried by people from the local area. This year, Katumba are inviting YOU to take part in a host of workshops with a Halloween twist.Learn to: Craft everything you need for a real carnival, inspired by ancestral spirits Beat out rhythms that shake the streets alive Move, dance, and embody the energy of carnival…Then step into the procession itself!Join us at the following

FREE workshops:

Saturday 25th of October – Lantern MakingMake your very own lantern (no fire involved!) to light up Katumba Halloween Carnival – ages 5+ 

Saturday 25th of October – Circus Workshops

A chance to discover the magic of circus with silk ribbons, poi, juggling balls, devil sticks, hula hoop and spinning plate with Bring the Fire Project – ages 7+Sunday 26th of October – Katumba DrummingCome along to Liverpool One’s Halloween Party from 12pm and take part in a Katumba Drumming workshop  – under 18’s

Sunday 2nd of November – Sounds & Sauna, An Evening of WellbeingMusic, movement and mindfulness, the best way to wind down and relax after our Halloween carnival with sound bath, mindful movement and a gorgeous wooden sauna to top it all off on the – 18+, ticketed

Book now at https://katumba.co.uk/halloween-carnival-2025/

Feel the drums. Honour the ancestors. Celebrate the spirits…

Liverpool School of Art: The Creative Ecosystem (Being Human Festival 2025)

 

The Liverpool School of Art, the second oldest School of Art in England and creative heart of this city, turns 200 years old in 2025! As part of the Being Human Festival and as one of the many celebrations for the School’s bicentenary, you’re invited to participate in making a huge map to identify the people and organisations which connect in any way, shape, form, or time to the School since its formation in 1825 – discovering the creative ecosystem of Liverpool’s art education history in the process.

This event will run concurrently with the exhibition Back to the Drawing Board: 200 Years of Art Education based in the same building, and will hopefully contribute to further exhibit work as part of the ongoing celebration activities.

  • Fri 7 Nov 13:00-16:00
  • Sat 15 Nov 11:00-14:00

Mount Pleasant Campus Library 29 Maryland StL1 9DE

All are welcome – you don’t have to have been a student at the Liverpool School of Art to attend! Light refreshments will be provided.

The building is wheelchair accessible, but please email archives@ljmu.ac.uk if you have any specific access questions or concerns.

If you can’t make the event but are still interested in the Liverpool School of Art’s history, LJMU Special Collections & Archives manage the archival papers of the School which are available to browse here, and you can visit anything from our many collections by appointment anytime Mon-Fri 10:00-16:00.

This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 6 – 15 November 2025. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see https://www.beinghumanfestival.org/

 

 

 

Queue Up And Dance Book Launch

Join us for the launch of Queue Up and Dance new book celebrating Quadrant Park, the legendary Bootle club with speakers artist Dave Evans, author and archivist of DIY movements Emma Warren, and DJ Melissa Kains.

Queue Up And Dance features a collection of interviews with a variety of people, from those who went to the club, to the DJs that played there, about their experiences of ‘the Quad’. Together, these highlight the club’s particular social and cultural context, why it was so important to so many, and how its legacy lives on 35 years later.

The book also contains an introduction by writer and researcher Emma Warren, author of Dance Your Way Home: A Journey Through the Dancefloor, and an afterword by Melissa Kains, the founder of female and non-binary DJ collective Sisu Crew.

Queue Up And Dance is the outcome of a year-long, artist-led project of the same title. It invited those who went to the club in its heyday, and young people living in Bootle today, to collaboratively develop an archive, exhibition, and other creative projects inspired by Quadrant Park and the early DIY culture of rave. 

Please note this event takes place at Rough Trade, Hanover Street, Liverpool 

Reserve your free ticket via DICE here

At The Library produce a programme of artist-led workshops, projects, commissions and happenings in Sefton Libraries. Email us on hello@atthelibrary.co.uk with any questions, access needs or for a chat about any of our projects.

World Fusion Dance Class

Dance around the world with Movema in their fun, accessible World Fusion class.

Information about the class:

Our signature World Fusion class usually includes an energising warm up, ensuring your body is ready to dance, dance movements and routines from various cultures with our specialist teachers, creative moments for you to express yourself and work with others and a relaxing cool down at the end.

At various points in the year our group performs at city celebrations. During these times you are invited to come along to just class and take part or rehearse to perform at community performances and events!

Dance styles include: Chinese, Bollywood, Irish, African, Brazilian and many many more.

Classes are aimed at adult participants of all levels and experiences.Open to children and young people ages 8+ who can concentrate and follow along with a dynamic class, must be with an accompanying adult.

Movema Creating Safe(r) Spaces Pledge

Movema open up spaces where all dances are valued equally and all people are valued equally.

We acknowledge that no public space can be entirely safe from the actions of individuals.

We aim to create safe spaces for communities and individuals to come together to learn about each other through dance, where people from all backgrounds can attend and feel comfortable to be themselves and express themselves.

We aim to create spaces that people can feel supported and accepted and feel safe from shaming, bullying and judgement and physical harm.

We pledge to meet participants, volunteers, staff and others where they are and try to understand individuals needs and adapt to their needs where possible.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination of any type and we train our staff to feel confident to take appropriate action to reduce harm and risk of harm.

Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Stronger Together! FREE Dance classes for Women

From India to Brazil, & Carnival to Afrobeats, get ready to feel energised and DANCE TILL YOU DROP with Movema!

Time to reconnect with others, get fit, and share in world dance & music!

No dance experience necessary!

*Trans women are and will always be welcome in these sessions. The same goes for non-binary, gender fluid and gender queer people who feel included by the term women.

Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, P.H.Holt, Eleanor Rathbone, LCVS Community Impact fund, Community Foundation Women’s fund.

Level: Beginner, Intermediate

This event is for women only.

Welcome Home/Fáilte Abhaile

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 welcoming programme, celebrating what it is to arrive. Whether home is new or old, arriving there can be full of anticipation, expectation and nostalgia. We’ll also welcome new guests to the stage.

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.

Liverpool Irish Festival is proud to present this thematic collaboration, building an ongoing series of bespoke programmes, and becoming a firm fixture of the Festival. Grab your tickets whilst you can. 

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Stories of the Ramayana | INDIKA FESTIVAL

2:00pm

STORIES FROM THE RAMAYANA
Performed by Upahaar Dance Company (London)

Graceful, expressive, and full of storytelling magic — this vibrant performance brings to life stories from the Ramayana, the ancient Indian epic that celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the return of light over darkness. Closely tied to the festival of Diwali, the Ramayana explores themes of love, duty, courage, and the power of hope — universal ideas that continue to resonate today.

Performed in the classical South Indian dance style of Mohiniattam, dancers from Upahaar weave together movement, music, and vivid expression in a show perfect for families and curious minds of all ages.

Two workshops follow the performance:

Family Workshop (3:00–3:30pm) – FREE TO JOIN!
Join us immediately after the performance for a free, hands-on session for children and families to try out Mohiniattam dance together. No separate booking required — just stay on after the show and join in!

 
Mohiniattam Workshop for Dancers (4:30–6:00pm)
A unique opportunity for experienced dancers of any background to explore the graceful movements and expressive language of Mohiniattam in more depth.

Booking required for this workshop: https://www.acc360.co.uk/unitytheatreliverpool-1602579988-moving-with-grace-a-mohiniattam-workshop-for-dancers.html

 

This event is part of INDIKA, a festival of Indian arts and culture taking place across the Liverpool City Region from October 17th – 31st 2025.

Moving with Grace: A Mohiniattam Workshop for Dancers | INDIKA FESTIVAL

 4:30-6pm
Delve deep into the elegant world of Mohiniattam — the classical dance style from Kerala, known for its fluid movement, subtle expression, and lyrical storytelling. Led by Upahaar Dance Company, this workshop is designed for experienced dancers of any background who are curious to explore the technique, gestures, and expressive vocabulary of Mohiniattam. You’ll be introduced to core movement principles, explore short choreographic sequences, and gain insight into the dance’s connection to narrative and emotion. Suitable for dancers of any background intermediate level and up.

Free Workshop: Follow What Feels Good

 

 

Follow What Feels Good

An accessible contemporary movement workshop with Tip Tray Theatre & Studio Fluid.

Join Tip Tray Theatre’s artistic director, and award winning dancer/choreographer Rosie Terry Toogood for a free movement workshop exploring how you can listen to your body to create and enhance your own personal movement style. Open to anyone who is interested in movement or dance.

 

Date: Friday 1st August, 6pm

Location: Shakespeare North Playhouse

Free Tickets: Book here

Access: If you have any access requirements for the session, please contact maisy@tiptraytheatre.com

 

 

Art of Andalucia FLAMENCO

 

 

Following the success of his first two productions, which have captivated over 100,000 audience members across the UK, Ireland, and Germany in the last two years, Daniel Martinez returns with a new show focused entirely on flamenco dance. “ART OF ANDALUCIA” offers an immersive experience where the dancers take centre stage, bringing the passion and energy of Andalucia to life. Daniel will also perform new pieces from his highly anticipated third album.The production features world-renowned dancer Angel Reyes, known for his work with Manuel Linan and Jesus Carmona. Angel’s fiery passion and flawless technique promise to captivate and electrify the audience.Gabriela Pouso, the principal dancer of the Daniel Martinez Flamenco Company, also takes the stage. Her performances are a powerful mix of elegance, skill, and intensity, drawing audiences in with every movement.The dancers will perform to original compositions by Daniel Martinez, created specifically for this show. Accompanied by incredible vocals from Inma Montero and Danielo Olivera, and the rhythmic pulse of percussionist Julian Ticotico, they create an unforgettable flamenco experience.”ART OF ANDALUCIA” is a vibrant journey into the heart of Andalucia, where tradition and passion come alive through stunning choreography.