By Abbie Billington
Spring is the time for nature to come alive, and with warm weather and blossoms in bloom, it’s impossible not to feel inspired. So why not get outside and enjoy some culture this season? There’s no shortage of incredible exhibitions in Liverpool to engage the mind and the senses. From buzzing soundscapes and sailing plants to a fond farewell to a beloved stadium, the city region is bursting with creativity.
1. No Iconic Images. Views of War, Open Eye Gallery (Open until 4 May)
No Iconic Images. Views of War at Open Eye Gallery is a compelling exhibition that questions the role of war photography in our digital age. Featuring powerful work from Magnum photographers Peter van Agtmael and Newsha Tavakolian, it explores how images shape memory, media narratives, and public understanding of conflict. In collaboration with The Guardian and Magnum Photos, the show also highlights editorial decisions behind war coverage, with contributions from Forensic Architecture and Ukrainian artists Yarema Malashchuk and Roman Khimei. A timely and thought-provoking exhibition that challenges the idea of the “iconic” war image.
2. Bees: A Story of Survival, World Museum (Open until 5 May)
It’s nearly the time of year for our fuzzy friends to make the rounds again, so now is the perfect opportunity to learn more about them and how incredible they are! Bees: A Story of Survival, which opened at The World Museum last May brings together art and science to tell a story of 120 million years of adaptation and survival. Interactives, sculpture, projection and light all play a role in this stunning exhibition that will have you shouting: save the bees! Don’t miss your chance to see this exhibition before it closes.
3. Bahar Noorizadeh: Free to Choose & Christopher Kulendran Thomas: Safe Zone, FACT (Open until 11 May)
Two powerful exhibitions at FACT invite you to explore the complex forces shaping our world — from speculative futures to real-life turning points. In Free to Choose, Bahar Noorizadeh presents a “financial science-fiction opera” that imagines the credit system of the future as a Central Time Travel Agency. This immersive film explores the absurdities of finance through a surreal, neoliberal lens.
In Safe Zone, Christopher Kulendran Thomas explores the political, economic, and cultural forces that shape our world. Through painting, video and sound, he links global events like 9/11 and the Mullivaikkal massacre to the ongoing ripples they create today.
There’s also still a few weeks left to catch Art Plays Games in the upstairs gallery, which showcases how games help us make sense of the world and how they are their own storytelling model. So if you like art and video games (let’s be honest, the two go hand-in-hand), then you’ll love this exhibition.
4. The Plant That Stowed Away, Tate Liverpool + RIBA North (Open until 11 May)
Plants have always had a way of connecting people, and in this exhibition at Tate Liverpool + RIBA North, the connections between the trading history of cities like Liverpool and the global movements of plants and people are traced through art and photography. Wirral-born photographer Chris Shaw is the thread of inspiration for The Plant That Stowed Away, with many of the pieces building on his narratives and highlighting how urban and natural environments have been changed by growing industrialisation. Even in cities we have always co-existed with the natural world, and this exhibition serves as a reminder of that fact.
5. Liverpool Lines, dot-art (Open until 17 May)
Liverpool Lines exhibition celebrates the city region’s architectural heritage through the distinctive works of dot-art Artist Members Alexis Butterfield, Nicola McGovern, and Richard Farrell. From iconic waterfront landmarks to hidden corners, these artists capture Liverpool’s diverse landscapes using varied techniques—from gold-leafed pen drawings to intricate papercut collages and watercolor with ink wash—offering fresh perspectives on the buildings that have shaped the city’s soul and spirit.
6. Metamorphosis: Johnny Vegas and Emma Rodgers, Walker Art Gallery (Open until 29 June)
Did you know that Johnny Vegas has a degree in Arts and Ceramics? Now you do! After “life got in the way”, Johnny Vegas rediscovered his artistic talent after a chance meeting with local sculptor Emma Rodgers. The two have come together to collaborate on an exhibition cantering around the idea of metamorphosis, creating pieces out of bronze, clay and 3D printing. From the tragic figure of Icarus all the way to a fragile female figure, Vegas and Rodgers take us through their interpretations of flight, faith, and transformation.
7. Graham Crowley: I Paint Shadows, Walker Art Gallery (On until 13 July)
Graham Crowley first had his work exhibited at the Walker Art Gallery in 1976 during the John Moores Painting Prize. He has a long-standing history with the gallery, and this solo display offers the opportunity for visitors to see his work on a more intimate level and gain a deeper understanding. His signature style of experimenting with light, shadows and luminosity creates some striking pieces of art that will stick with you for some time.
8. The Holly Johnson Story, Museum of Liverpool (On until 27 July)
1980s Britain was a turbulent time for many. While music was seeing a drastic revolution, so were the social and political environments. At the forefront of all of this was pop icon Holly Johnson. The Holly Johnson Story charts Holly’s early personal life as well as his career, growing from a young musician to an internationally renowned, openly gay star, living in the public eye. While also shining a light on Holly himself, the Museum of Liverpool is telling the stories of people who experienced the gay scene in the 1980s, and the devastating legacy of the HIV crisis. For fans of Holly Johnson, and those interested in his impact on the music and LGBTQ+ scenes, this is not an exhibition to be missed.
9. Goodbye to Goodison, Museum of Liverpool (On until 21 September 2025)
Goodison Park has been the home of Everton FC since 1892, and many a legendary match has taken place under its lights. But as the club sets its sights on its future at Bramley Moore Dock stadium, the Museum of Liverpool looks back on Goodison’s final season as the home of The Blues. The exhibition highlights the pubs, chippys and streets in L4, shining a light on the matchday traditions of fans across the club. Bring a pack of tissues and your finest blue scarf as we say a fond farewell to The Grand Old Lady.
10. Subterranean Elevator, Williamson Art Gallery (On Until 20 December)
Descend into the world of Subterranean Elevator at the Williamson Art Gallery and discover what it means to become one with the earth and soil. This installation is a sensory exploration, taking visitors on a journey through mesmerising sounds and projected visuals into the inner worlds of soil and the subconscious mind. It invites collective contemplation and asks us to remember our connection to living and nonliving beings alike. It is a stark look at the emotional landscape of the climate emergency, an important reminder for each and every one of us.
Discover more exhibitions and arts events happening across the Liverpool city region via our What’s On listings.