For over three decades, legendary musician Afel Bocoum has been a guardian of Mali’s Niger River musical soul. A musical companion to Mali’s late great desert blues pioneer Ali Farka Touré, he launched a solo career with debut album in 1999, Alkibar (The Messenger), and gained international recognition through collaborations with Damon Albarn, including 2002’s Mali Music.Now, as one of the Sahel’s most beloved artists and ambassador for endangered instruments like the njurkel lute and njarka fiddle, Bocoum is set to release singles from his new album Harber in October 2025, accompanied by a 13-date UK tour in January 2026.
Event type: Music
PK’s seisiún
Completely informal opportunity to come along for a tune. The first seisiún of two in the Festival; the other takes place the following Fri (24 Oct 2025).
Bring an instrument, your voice and a will to play along. There’ll be Festival friends to help bring the gang together, whilst a fully stocked bar — in one of the most historic and quirkiest pubs in Liverpool — eases you towards the dawn. This event gets busy quickly and sometimes it’s ‘standing room only’, so be prepared to ‘hotch up’ and swap places so everyone can get a piece of the action. This is a night that almost guarantees high kicks ‘til dawn.
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PK’s seisiún
Completely informal opportunity to come along for a tune. The second seisiún of two in the Festival; the other takes place Fri 17 Oct 2025.
Bring an instrument, your voice and a will to play along. There’ll be Festival friends to help bring the gang together, whilst a fully stocked bar — in one of the most historic and quirkiest pubs in Liverpool — eases you towards the dawn. This event gets busy quickly and sometimes it’s ‘standing room only’, so be prepared to ‘hotch up’ and swap places so everyone can get a piece of the action. This is a night that almost guarantees high kicks ‘til dawn.
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Dallahan
Forged in Scotland and Ireland’s traditional music scene, but drawing on the music of the Balkans and North America, Dallahan take their listeners on a journey. Traversing styles and countries of the world in a dazzling live show, they create their own unique brand of World-Folk delivered with stunning virtuosity.
The lineup consists of Jack Badcock on guitar and vocals, Ciaran Ryan on banjo, mandolin and fiddle, Andrew Waite on accordion and Benedict Morris on fiddle and they have appeared at some of the world’s most prestigious international folk music events such as Milwaukee Irish Fest (USA), Celtic Connections (SCO), Tonder Festival (DK), Festival Dranouter (BE), Woodford Folk Festival (AUS) among countless others. To date, they have brought their live show to 25 countries, earned three nominations for Folk Band of The Year in 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2023 and enjoyed collaborations such as with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, songwriting legend Dougie MacLean and Nepal’s folk exponents Kutumba.
Approaching a decade together as a band, Dallahan have become a veteran touring outfit and with each album they continue to evolve their sound – which they call their own brand of World-Folk – as is evident on their fourth studio album, Speak of the Devil.
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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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The Druids
The Druids Irish Folk Band 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 would give 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.
Me + Deboe
2pm
Duo, me + deboe, are professional musicians touring original work that blends raw texture with atmospheric depth. Known for bold, cinematic compositions, their sound has become a defining element in their collaboration with Tmesis Theatre, a company renowned for its emotionally driven and visually rich physical theatre. This showcase draws from Sealskin and other productions, as well as a broader body of work developed throughout their careers.
Part of Hope Street Blend- One Street of Sound on 26th – 28th September. A free festival weekend celebrating music & Hope Street in one unique blend. For more information follow @HopeStOfficial
Skinny Living
3pm & 7pm
An Acoustic Evening with Skinny Living
Skinny Living are a three-piece English indie-soul band from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The band is made up of guitarist Will Booth, Belfast-born vocalist Ryan Johnston and guitarist Danny Hepworth.
Jennifer Vaudrey | Creative’Pool Workshop
6:00pm-8:00pm
Jennifer Vaudrey is an experienced vocal tutor and workshop facilitator known for her nurturing, technique-driven approach to voice training. With a background as a professional vocalist and songwriter, Jennifer combines years of live performance with a deep understanding of vocal health, range development, and expressive technique.
She works with students of all abilities—from complete beginners to emerging artists—helping them unlock their vocal potential through carefully tailored one-to-one lessons and group workshops. Jennifer specializes in:
Expanding vocal range through practical, safe exercises
Breath control and support techniques for better tone and stamina
Confidence building for both singing and public speaking
Lyric interpretation and emotional delivery
Harmony work and ensemble performance skills
Her sessions are known for being both technically grounded and creatively inspiring, often incorporating songwriting, improvisation, and mindfulness to help students connect more fully with their voice.
Future Now
The fifth instalment of Future Now returns to Future Yard on August Bank Holiday 2025. On Friday 22nd, Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th August this year we’ll be channelling the spirit of new music, discovery, and having a boss time enjoying incredible musicians playing live in Birkenhead.
Friday 22 August
Adult DVD, Anna Erhard & Home Counties
Over their brief time as Adult DVD, the Leeds based 6-piece have become known for their relentless output of infectious hooks and grooves with a euphoric live show that could be mistaken for a club night. Their first single ‘Do Something’ taken from self-released, self- produced EP ‘Next Day Shipping’ landed straight onto the BBC6 Music B list earning widespread support from Dork, Line of Best Fit, Clash, Farout and more. The group ended 2024 with a packed out show at the iconic 100 Club show and 2025 kicked off with a sold out headline for Line Of Best Fit’s ‘5 Day Forecast’ a showcase for the essential new artists of the year.
Saturday 23 August
Los Bitchos, Lime Garden, Mandrake Handshake, Yumi And The Weather, DBA! & Niki Kand
Made up of lead guitarist Serra, who carries both Australian and Turkish heritage, Uruguayan synth and keytar player Agustina Ruiz, Swedish bassist Josefine Jonsson and British drummer Nic Crawshaw, Los Bitchos are united by a commitment to having fun. It’s a contagious energy they’ve had no problem transmitting to the world since the band officially arrived in 2019.
Sunday 24 August
Pussy Riot: Riot Days, CLT DRP, Shelf Lives, Alien Chicks, Bathing Suits & Jodie Langford
PUSSY RIOT: RIOT DAYS headlines the outdoor FY Garden stage on Sunday 24th August, with a multimedia performance featuring Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina, based on her memoir of the same name. The project blends live music, spoken word, video, and performance art to tell the story of the group’s activism and her experience in a Russian prison following their infamous 2012 protest. After touring internationally Riot Days is back with a new show in 2025 including topics such as the oppression and violence against the LGBTQ+ community, the story of Alexey Navalny and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.