Arts and Culture
Discover the best of arts and culture in Liverpool, featuring exhibitions, interviews, and cultural events celebrating the city’s creative spirit.
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52 For 26 Poetry Project: Nicola Hardman
Nicola Hardman – Power, Performance and the Cost of Staying Quiet Nicola Hardman’s These Pandas Want You to Die arrives like a pressure valve finally giving way. Furious, funny, confrontational and painfully recognisable, the poem channels the exhaustion of existing within systems that continually demand more whilst offering less in return. Written originally as a journal entry, the piece grows out of Hardman’s frustrations around the misuse of power — particularly within the creative industries, where conversations around fairness, opportunity…
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Creative Spotlight: In Conversation with Kenneth Hesketh
Where Sound Becomes Structure — Kenneth Hesketh on architecture, atmosphere and the strange emotional power of composition. For Kenneth Hesketh, music was never simply something he did — it was an environment he inhabited. Born in Liverpool in 1968, his earliest formative experiences came as a chorister at Liverpool Cathedral, where sound itself became something physical, architectural and psychologically charged. Reflecting on those years, Hesketh says becoming a chorister at nine placed him inside “an…
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Walker Art Gallery: Sir John Akomfrah and Gender Stories Exhibitions Open This May
Two major exhibitions exploring identity, memory and belonging are set to open at Walker Art Gallery this summer, bringing internationally acclaimed contemporary art and deeply personal stories to the heart of Liverpool. Opening on 16 May 2026, Listening All Night To The Rain by Sir John Akomfrah and Gender Stories will run side-by-side until 31 August, transforming the gallery into a space for reflection, conversation and cultural dialogue. Originally commissioned by the British Council for…
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Close to Home: Liverpool Exhibition Creates Space for Conversations Around Suicide
A ground-breaking exhibition exploring stories and the impact of suicide is to open in Liverpool’s historic Cunard Building this September. Developed in collaboration with Merseyside-based community arts organisation Heart of Glass, Close to Home, is more than an exhibition. It is an act of witness, inviting audiences into a space of contemplation, of reflection, of quiet assembly. Built upon lived and living experience of suicidal thoughts and attempts, and of bereavement by suicide, it has been…
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Art in the Ev Continues with Julie Lawrence’s Walking Through Seasons
Where shadow and light fold together, and return reshapes what is seen. At Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre, visual art has become part of the building’s everyday rhythm rather than a separate event—and that’s largely down to its ongoing partnership with dot-art. Their collaboration continues to open up the theatre’s spaces to a rolling programme of contemporary artists, inviting audiences to encounter new work in passing as much as by intention. It’s within this quietly evolving setting that Julie Lawrence’s latest…
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Exhibition Preview: The Diamond — Brian O’Hanlon’s Powerful Portrait of Working-Class Nightlife
The Diamond – Holding On to Something Real in a Fading Nightlife Culture. Brian O’Hanlon is a Liverpool-based photographer whose work bridges documentary storytelling and commercial image-making. Originally trained in graphic design and art direction, he spent over two decades in the creative industries before returning to photography, a shift that continues to shape his distinctive visual style. His work focuses on people, place and identity, often exploring working-class culture and contemporary British life with both sensitivity and structure.…
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52 For 26 Poetry Project: Rebbeca Riley
Rebecca Riley – A candid exploration of crisis, recovery and creative return. Rebecca Riley describes herself first and foremost as a performance poet, shaped by early training in dance and drama and by a creative instinct that favours collaboration. She has worked alongside musicians in recent years, developing a style in which language and rhythm are inseparable, each shaping the emotional weight of the other. Away from performance, her focus turns inward: long walks in…
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More Events Announced for Liverpool Arab Arts Festival 2026 This July
The Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) is set to return for its 24th edition this summer, bringing a bold and thought-provoking programme of Arab arts and culture to venues across Liverpool from Friday 17 to Sunday 26 July 2026. As the UK’s longest-running annual festival celebrating Arab culture, LAAF continues to platform powerful artistic voices from across the Arab world and diaspora. This year’s theme explores the evolving concept of “home” — from place and…
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People Power: New Exhibition Tells Story of Saving Liverpool’s Palm House
A new exhibition at Liverpool Central Library is set to spotlight one of the city’s most powerful stories of community action, as the Save It! display explores how local people helped rescue the iconic Sefton Park Palm House from dereliction. Opening 7 May and running until 27 August 2026, the free exhibition—located on the third floor of the library—marks 25 years since the Palm House reopened in 2001, following a decade-long grassroots campaign to save…
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Home And Away Workshops Announce Exhibition At St George’s Hall Exploring Belonging And Displacement
A new exhibition exploring themes of belonging, migration and memory is set to open at St George’s Hall this May, as Liverpool-based collective Home and Away Workshops unveil their latest body of work. Running from 6–31 May 2026, Home and Away brings together a diverse group of artists whose practices are shaped by experiences of displacement, transition and identity. The exhibition launches with a free preview event on 6 May from 5–7pm, with entry available…
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52 For 26 Poetry Project: Joseph Barrow
Joseph Barrow – From soil to stanza, a life lived in earth and words. Joseph Barrow has carved out a quiet but distinctive presence in Liverpool’s poetry landscape. A long-time gardener with two decades of experience running his own small business, Barrow brings an eye for detail and a naturalist’s patience to his writing. Much of his work leans toward autobiography—glimpses of lived experience shaped by the cycles of nature, the rhythm of work, and the reflective spaces in…
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Preview: Being There At Bridewell Studios & Gallery
Process over polish, lines still in motion… At Bridewell Studios and Gallery this May, the line between studio and exhibition space is being deliberately blurred. Being There – Conversations in Drawing isn’t a show in the traditional sense. Instead, it’s a three-week residency that invites the public into the process itself—into the uncertainty, repetition and quiet decisions that sit behind finished work. Featuring Colette Lilley, Jon Barraclough and Sarah Jane Richards, the gallery will operate as an open, working studio,…
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52 For 26 Poetry Project: Dr Pauline Rowe
Dr Pauline Rowe – When Canada geese and a night sky offer quiet reassurance. Some poems arrive quietly, slipping into the room almost unnoticed, until their stillness makes you stop. That is very much the case with the new piece from Dr Pauline Rowe for this year’s 52 for 26 Poetry Project. Rooted in a single moment of exhausted reflection and unexpected grace, the poem grew from an evening when one of her sons was struggling. Standing in the…
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Liverpool Arab Arts Festival Announce 24th Edition Returning This July
Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF), the UK’s longest running annual festival of Arab arts and culture, and returns for its 24th year this July. Founded in 1998, LAAF exists to support and champion creatives from across the Arab region and its diaspora, in the belief that art and creativity have the power to express a shared humanity. The festival – recently nominated in the LCR Culture & Creativity Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Culture –…
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Renowned Artist Pete McKee Comes To Liverpool With His Pop-Up Art Exhibition & Live Music Show
This Spring, renowned Artist Pete McKee is partnering with Music Venue Trust on a UK Tour of his exhibition The Boy With a Leg Named Brian. The tour is stopping at District in Liverpool on 16 May. Favoured by musicians, designers and iconic brands, Pete’s work has been commissioned by the likes of Noel Gallagher, Arctic Monkeys and fashion designer Sir Paul Smith. Pete is delighted to be championing and raising awareness of the vital work that Music Venue Trust do to keep…
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Liverpool Makers’ Bazaar Celebrates 10 Years on Lark Lane
Lark Lane is Liverpool’s bustling vibrant social centre known for it’s traditional pubs, trendy bars, Instagram-worthy baked goods and let’s not forget the coffee. The Lane is awash with quirky independent shops and home to a fascinating vintage warehouse. But it’s beating heart is surely the local community centre. The entrance to which is on Sefton Grove, the street just to the left of the the Old Police Station at 80 Lark Lane. St Michael’s…
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52 For 26 Poetry Project: Ian Martin
Ian Martin – A poet reflects on the city’s split allegiances and shared passion. Football in Liverpool has a habit of shaping more than matchdays. It settles into families, histories, and the small rituals that last far longer than any 90 minutes. Ian Martin’s contribution to the 52 for 26 Poetry Project explores exactly that: the split loyalties, the banter, and the unspoken understanding that comes from being a family divided between red and blue. Martin writes from a…
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Winners Announced at LJMU MA Short Film Festival 2026
Liverpool John Moore’s MA Short Film Festival has come to a close, and there was a fantastic display of talent here from a whole host of films all over the world. However, only a select few were chosen by both the jury and the audience for the coveted Paper Bird Award. From animations to documentaries, there was a wide selection of short films shown at the film festival, and below are the winners from each…
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Big Top Festival southport: World-Class Circus Acts To ‘Roll up!’ For May Bank Holiday
Families will be given a unique chance to clown around, stilt walk and juggle alongside world-class circuit acts when Southport hosts a spectacular two-day Big Top Festival this May Bank Holiday. Suitable for all ages and completely free, the festival on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3 will see the town centre transformed like never before. Visitors can expect breathtaking acrobatics and daring aerial displays at the event which will comprise five performance stages…
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52 For 26 Poetry Project: Alia Boquash
Alia Boquash – A poet shaped by heritage, community, and Liverpool’s creative undercurrents. Alia Boquash – known to many as Alia Breeze – writes with an instinct that comes straight from lived experience. Her work is shaped by realism, by the grit of south Liverpool streets, and by emotions that don’t soften themselves before arriving on the page. She describes herself as “emotionally charged, heartfelt, and slightly hard faced,” and her poetry carries that same unfiltered energy. For Alia,…
Liverpool has long been recognised as one of the UK’s most creative cities, with a thriving arts and culture scene that continues to inspire, innovate, and attract visitors from across the globe. From world-class art galleries and museums to grassroots exhibitions, community-led projects, and bold new work from emerging artists, the city offers an ever-changing landscape of creativity.
Our arts and culture in Liverpool section celebrates everything from major cultural moments to intimate creative experiences. Here, you’ll find coverage of the city’s most exciting art exhibitions, from Tate Liverpool’s thought-provoking contemporary shows to Bluecoat’s pioneering visual arts programme and FACT’s boundary-pushing exploration of digital culture. We also shine a spotlight on independent galleries and artist-run spaces, such as Output Gallery and dot-art, which champion local talent and give a platform to Liverpool’s diverse artistic voices.
But arts and culture in Liverpool is about more than exhibitions. It’s also about the stories behind the artists, curators, and cultural leaders who shape the city. Through interviews, features, and opinion pieces, we explore the inspirations, challenges, and creative journeys of those contributing to Liverpool’s cultural life. Whether it’s an established painter, a theatre director, or a multidisciplinary artist experimenting with new forms, we share their perspectives and amplify their work.
Liverpool’s cultural calendar is packed with must-see events, and this section keeps you up to date with the highlights. From visual arts festivals like Liverpool Biennial, to multi-arts celebrations such as Africa Oyé and Homotopia, we cover the festivals and events that bring people together and reflect the city’s spirit of creativity and inclusion. Alongside these larger-scale happenings, we also look at grassroots cultural activity—pop-up exhibitions, open studios, and collaborative community projects that keep the city’s cultural identity vibrant and alive.
The city’s strong cultural foundations, built on its history as a UNESCO City of Music and European Capital of Culture 2008, continue to fuel innovation. Today, arts and culture in Liverpool is about creating accessible, inclusive, and exciting opportunities for everyone to experience creativity. Whether you’re interested in traditional painting and sculpture, cutting-edge digital installations, performance art, or cultural heritage, Liverpool offers something for every taste.
By exploring this section, you’ll discover not only what’s on, but also gain insights into why the arts matter here and now. Liverpool’s artists and cultural organisations are shaping important conversations about identity, diversity, community, and the future—and we’re here to share their stories.
So whether you’re planning your next gallery visit, looking to discover a new artist, or simply want to stay connected with the heartbeat of Liverpool’s creative scene, this category is your guide to everything happening in arts and culture across the city.