Remember when we use to rave into the wee hours? Want the euphoria of dancing with your arms high above your head to the best 90’s dance tracks, but don’t have a week to recover? Well the Great Great Grandmother of good times, Nana Funk and shapeshifter, meta-drag artist and Art-House Witch Dross have teamed together to bring you Nana’s Not Night-Time 90’s Rave at Future Yard.
Burn off your breakfast and build up your appetite in time for supper with DJ extraordinaires, The Fat Britney and Chris Carney. 2pm – 7pm. Enough time to get your heart rate up, but not so long that your knees pack in!
THE FAT BRITNEY is Manchester’s chubby chanteuse of camp. Her sets are dedicated to poor taste, filth basslines and sweaty sweaty raving. She is resident of Under One Roof Raves and Manchester’s queer clubbing institution Bollox. She takes herself very seriously but doesn’t encourage you to.
CHRIS HERSTAD CARNEY is a DJ, radio presenter, event & festival manager, educator and general creative brain from Liverpool. In his DJ career as a solo performer and with renowned collective Mixnots, Chris has played Glastonbury, Creamfields, Isle of Wight, Sound City, Kendal Calling, Standon Calling & Lake of Stars Malawi. Chris co-founded Threshold Festival of Music & Arts which ran for 11 years in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle district
Join us for a weekend of free family-friendly fun this September. The artist-led activities will be part of the nationwide Our Freedom: Then & Now project. More information coming soon.
Led by artist Roger Hill, each session includes time for discussion and sharing, book recommendations and reviews, individual and group reading, plus fun activities centred around the weekly core story.
These sessions offer a wonderful opportunity to bond with your baby, make new friends, and foster a lifelong love of books through fun, creative storytelling. You’ll also be welcomed with a hot drink on arrival, as these sessions are designed with your comfort and relaxation in mind too.
It’s never too early to start reading with your baby—book now to secure your spot!
We’re hosting a fun-filled day of family friendly activities to coincide with this year’s Big Butterfly Count!
Every year, the Butterfly Conservation invites people like you (our citizen scientists!) to take part in a nationwide survey of butterflies and day-flying moths across the UK. To coincide with this year’s event, we’re inviting you to Kindling Farm to see how many you can spot here!
Expect a day of crafts, walks & tours and family friendly activities exploring the different species of butterfly that we have here in the UK and why they’re SO IMPORTANT for our environment.
Our Pollinator Walk is back by popular demand! Suitable for all the family, this guided walk invites you to explore our fields and discover the amazing wildlife living amongst us!
And of course, the main event: the Big Butterfly Count! Pick a spot at the farm, count as many butterflies as you can then log them with Kindling Farm staff so your recordings become a part of the nationwide survey.
N.B. Butterflies don’t like the rain or the wind and who can blame them! In the event that the weather takes a turn for the worse, our butterfly count at the farm will not go ahead but don’t worry because we will be running butterfly themed activities all afternoon suitable for all ages!
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You must register to come to this event – please don’t just turn up as facilities are limited.
You can book a time slot between 1-2.30pm or 3-4.30pm. Please make sure you are booking for the right time slot when registering your place!
Join artists from Blue Room, our inclusive arts project supporting learning disabled and neurodivergent artists as they create an experimental art lab to celebrate Liverpool hosting the British Science Festival. Explore the fascinating patterns that can be observed in space, nature and our human-made environment, with hands-on creative activities, demonstrations, and displays.
This event is suitable for ages 4+Children must be supervised at all times.
Explore our open studios, meet some of the Bluecoat’s creative community and find out about their practices, which range from painting and photography to jewellery and illustration.
Join Lady Lever Art Gallery for a laid back family afternoon in our garden, on what they hope will be a sunny start to the summer holidays!
Head along for their story time, crafts and sand play.
Although they’ll be out on the grass we ask that beloved four legged furry friends are kept outside of the gates to ensure the space is kept clean and clear for children playing.
As they will be outdoors please remember to dress appropriately. If the typical English weather turns they’ll head indoors to their activity rooms instead.
Liverpool Philharmonic throws open its doors for a day filled with music! Everyone’s welcome, so drop in, enjoy a packed programme of musical taster sessions and experiences, and discover everything we’ve got on offer…
Whether you’re a regular, or you’ve never been to the Hall before, come along and explore a whole world of musical opportunities right on your doorstep.
This is a free event. Please note, there is no advance booking available for this event and seating is unreserved
Liverpool Biennial returns this summer once again showcasing cutting-edge contemporary visual art across the city region. Running alongside it is the Independents Biennial, with 22 newly commissioned works by 64 artists. Independents Biennial sets out to highlight the incredible work of the city’s grassroots artists, an integral part of the backbone of Liverpool’s creative scene.
Independent galleries and Liverpool’s creative networks are placed into the spotlight, as artists are given a chance to make a name for themselves in the UK’s largest and longest-running free festival of art, as well as celebrating Liverpool’s creativity and cultural significance.
What makes the Independents Biennial truly special is its commitment to non-traditional spaces. Art isn’t just confined to galleries – the festival utilises all spaces to showcase its artists work, including Hilbre Island off the coast of the Wirral, Belle Vale shopping centre and empty units in St Helens town centre. It celebrates the versatility of art, and how artists can use any space and turn anything into phenomenal, thought-provoking pieces of art.
Independents Biennial will span each of Liverpool’s six boroughs, with each location offering something unique and inspirational. Sefton, Knowsley, Wirral, St Helens, Halton and Liverpool city centre will host these 64 independent artists and provide them and their work with a home for the summer.
Independents Biennial: Our Highlights
While the entire programme promises to be unforgettable, we’ve picked out a few exhibitions that are especially worth checking out…
The Right Map by Ghost Art School
You won’t want to miss The Right Map by Ghost Art School, a collective that exists between margins and creates art that challenges the conventions of traditional institutions. The Right Map is described as “a constellation of art exhibitions across Liverpool, unfolding under the banner of the Independents Biennial.” It brings together a series of exhibitions across the city region, including UNSTABLE in Port Sunlight, In Search of Swallows and Amazons in Kensington, Account in Birkenhead, and Slipstream on Blundell Street in the city centre.
Tom Stockley and Ruaíri Valentine
Building on this theme of place and disruption, Tom Stockley and Ruaíri Valentine bring their deep dive into Wirral psychogeography to the festival with Weird Wirral. Inspired by a gothic poem, the duo turns to folklore and legend, guiding us through the shorelines and landscapes of the Wirral to uncover traces of magic and forgotten stories hidden in the land.
Claire Beerjeraz
Meanwhile, at the Victoria Gallery, Claire Beerjeraz offers a powerful reflection on the legacies of colonialism and slavery. Their multidisciplinary exhibition explores how these histories are displayed, contained, and remembered within institutional spaces. With a tapestry of spoken word and clay, Claire weaves together personal and collective memory, urging us to look beneath the surface of memorials and museum walls—and to reimagine how art institutions can hold space for difficult truths.
Amy Flynn Technofossils
Amy Flynn Technofossils
In another standout piece, artist Amy Flynn invites us to consider the legacy of our modern waste through Technofossils—human-made objects and materials that will persist in the geological record for millions of years. Her pewter cast sculptures are deliberately alluring at first glance: sparkling gemstones and shiny metals entice the viewer in. But look closer, and you’ll find the contours of outdated mobile phones and discarded plastic food containers—rubbish masquerading as treasure. This journey through desire and disgust mimics the cycle of consumerism, exploring themes of duality: artificial/organic, worthless/precious, temporary/permanent, growth/decay.
Venus in Transit: A Cosmic Journey Through Liverpool
Explore Liverpool’s history through a cosmic lens in this bold, multi-part project that blends astrology, storytelling, and live art. Back in 1639, Toxteth-born astronomer Jeremiah Horrocks became the first person to observe the transit of Venus across the Sun—a pivotal moment in the history of astronomy. In astrology, Venus is associated with beauty and creativity, and this project asks how these Venusian themes have helped shape Liverpool’s identity across the centuries. This is part one of a collaboration between Independents Biennial and the Museum of Liverpool’s Global City series—and promises to be an unforgettable deep dive into the city’s star-studded past and artistic present.
Discover the full Independents Biennial programme
Independents Biennial will take place across Liverpool from 7 June to 14 September 2025. This year’s festival is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting yet. With so much to explore, experience, and be inspired by, Independents Biennial is a must for anyone looking to make the most of the city’s creative summer—it’s definitely at the top of our plans!
Liverpool Biennial returns this summer, transforming the city with bold and thought-provoking contemporary art across public spaces, galleries, and unexpected venues.
What is Liverpool Biennial?
Founded in 1998, Liverpool Biennial is the UK’s largest free festival of contemporary art. Since then, it’s presented over 560 artists and created nearly 400 artworks — many of which remain permanently in the city, like Liverpool Mountain at the Albert Dock or The Hummingbird Clock in Derby Square and even The Dazzle Ferry that takes visitors too and from the Wirral every day. The Biennial has presented work by over 560 leading artists, delivered 34 collaborative neighbourhood projects, and received over 50 million visits.
2025 Theme: BEDROCK
This year’s theme is BEDROCK, inspired by Liverpool’s sandstone geology and its deeper social foundations — from family and heritage to community and colonial legacies.
Liverpool Biennial curator, Marie-Anne McQuay said: “The city’s geological foundations and its psyche have provided the starting point for the conversations of Liverpool Biennial 2025, with the invited artists bringing us their own definition of ‘BEDROCK’.”
Three Programme Weekends
The festival unfolds across three key weekends, each focusing on a different layer of BEDROCK:
7–8 June: Civic and colonial history
25–27 July: Family and the things that ground us
12–14 September: Geology and the passage of time
Liverpool Biennial 2025 events and exhibitions:
Here is an insight in what kind of artwork and artists to expect at this year’s Liverpool Biennial 2025.
Outdoor Works:
Anna Gonzalez Noguchi, Real Feel 90, 2021. Courtesy of the artist and Canary Wharf, London. Photography by Sean Pollock
Alice Rekab — A multi-city (Liverpool and Edinburgh) billboard project with students, exploring identity and belonging. In partnership with Edinburgh Art Festival. (Liverpool ONE).
Anna Gonzalez-Noguchi — Botanical-themed sculpture inspired by the historical import of ‘foreign’ plants into Liverpool, engraved with records of the city’s botanical collections. (Mann Island).
Petros Moris — Mosaic works inspired by abandoned playgrounds and personal history (The Oratory, Liverpool Cathedral).
Isabel Nolan — A steel and concrete sculpture inspired by a drawing of a stained-glass window held in the St Nicholas Pro-Cathedral archive and the leadwork in the windows of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral’s Lutyens Crypt. (St Johns Gardens)
Further works will be exhibited in some unexpected places around the streets of Liverpool:
Anna Gonzalez-Noguchi – Eurochemist, Berry Street.
Amber Akaunu – New film Dear Other Mother exploring matriarchal community in Toxteth.
Odur Ronald – Large installation of aluminium passports reflecting African migration.
ChihChung Chang 張致中 – Ship model-based work reflecting family and naval history, also at Pine Court.
FACT
Kara Chin, The Park is Gone, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Kara Chin – Interactive installation combining urban motifs with manga and gaming aesthetics.
DARCH – Sound and ceramic work with Sefton residents about land, roots and belonging.
Linda Lamignan – Film exploring animism, palm oil extraction and Nigeria–Liverpool histories.
Liverpool Cathedral
Maria Loizidou, Moi Balbuzard Migrant, 2023, Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris 2023-24. Photography by Maria Lund.
Ana Navas – Glass collages inspired by historic female portraiture and local embroidery archives.
Maria Loizidou – Crocheted tapestry of migratory birds highlighting themes of migration and survival
Liverpool Central Library
Dawit L. Petros, The Open Boat, 2024. 3D Print. Courtesy of the Artist and Tiwani Contemporary, London. Photography by Dawit L. Petros
Dawit L. Petros – Dawit presents a research project at Liverpool Central Library that aims to re-read a historic military expedition to the River Nile from 1884-1885 – a British-led expedition which included 379 Voyageurs from across Canada and Quebec including French Canadians, Western Canadians and First Nations. The installation, which has been developed through a residency at Liverpool John Moore’s University, includes sound, video, books and archive material gathered and created in response to Liverpool’s own archives related to shipping and empire.
Open Eye Gallery
Widline Cadet, Santiman fantom (Ghost Feelings), 2023. Courtesy of the artist and Nazarian / Curcio.
Nandan Ghiya – Sculptural photographs inspired by Hindu mythology and colonial resource extraction.
Widline Cadet – Photographic exploration of Haitian-American diasporic memory.
Katarzyna Perlak – Horror-inspired queer film set in Liverpool’s Adelphi Hotel. Co-created with local award-winning filmmaking organisation First Take and participants from their REEL: Queer programme, the film adopts a non-linear, poetic narrative and references the genre of horror to explore longing and Queer identity.
Karen Tam 譚嘉文, Scent of Thunderbolts, 2024. Courtesy of the artist and Toronto Biennial of Art. Photography by Toni Hafkenscheid
Karen Tam 譚嘉文 – Multimedia piece on Cantonese opera and sonic memory in diaspora.
ChihChung Chang 張致中 – Charcoal rubbing artwork depicting Liverpool’s Chinese Arch. The resulting film documenting the process will be exhibited at Pine Court.
Tate Liverpool + RIBA North
Sheila Hicks, Grand Boules, 2009. Courtesy Alison Jacques, London and Sheila Hicks. Photography by Michael Brzezinski.
Hadassa Ngamba – Congo cartography-inspired paintings using colonially extracted materials.
Mounira Al Solh – Drawings based on dialogues with displaced communities.
Fred Wilson – African flag paintings stripped of colour to question identity and representation.
Sheila Hicks – Textile ‘memory balls’ made from garments of friends and family.
Christine Sun Kim – Infographic drawings on sound, communication and Deaf culture.
Where the Work Begins – A display curated by RIBA that explores the connection between art and architecture.
Further highlights include sculptural works by Cevdet Erek which measure the passing of time and relationships, photography and sculpture by Dawit L Petros and a new textile work by Antonio Jose Guzman & Iva Jankovic.
The Black-E
Elizabeth Price, THE WOOLWORTHS CHOIR OF 1979, Installation view. Photography by Michael Pollard
Elizabeth Price – Film on post-war Catholic Modernist churches and architectural trauma.
Walker Art Gallery
Antonio Jose Guzman & Iva Jankovic, Orbital Mechanics, 2024. 60th Venice Biennial. Photography by Giorgio Silvestri
Antonio Jose Guzman & Iva Jankovic – Concrete Roots, textile and dub-based installation on resilience.
Leasho Johnson – Vivid paintings challenging narratives around the Black queer body.
Nour Bishouty – Multimedia work on tourism, memory and fictional landscapes.
Jennifer Tee – Tulip-petal collages inspired by Tampan textile patterns.
Further highlights include cast resin works of Dream Stones by Karen Tam 譚嘉文; a new, large-scale textile and embroidery work by Katarzyna Perlak; wall-based works by Cevdet Erek inspired by football stadia layouts; paintings and tapestries of fictional landscapes by Isabel Nolan; and a mosaic work by Petros Moris presented in the Sculpture Gallery.
20 Jordan Street
Cevdet Erek, Bergama Stereo, 2019. Hambuger Bahnhof Museum fur Gegenwart, Berlin, Germany. Courtesy of the artist. Photography by Matthias Volzke.
Cevdet Erek – Immersive sound installation replicating the energy of a football stadium.
Imayna Caceres – Clay-based installation imagining Liverpool’s lifeforce through mud and nature.
Learning Activities
For families, a storybook designed with input from attendees at Liverpool Biennial’s regular family workshops at Liverpool Central Library, will help children and young people explore ‘BEDROCK’. Elsewhere, artist-led workshops, inspired by Biennial projects will happen throughout the summer holidays.
For schools and the wider community, the Liverpool Biennial Learning Programme also includes a selection of online and physical resources developed with teachers across the city to bring Liverpool Biennial 2025 to life in the classroom.
To find out more about the full Liverpool Biennial programme and plan your visit, head to the Liverpool Biennial website.
To discover more events happening across the Liverpool city region visit our What’s On listings.
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