Festivals
Stay up to date with the best festivals in Liverpool, from music and arts to family-friendly food and drink events across the city.
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Son of The Legendary Fela Kuti And Female Dancehall Star Set To Headline Africa Oyé 2023
Africa Oyé have revealed the headliners for their 2023 festival taking place this summer in Liverpool. The Saturday of the two-day free festival will see dancehall and reggae artist, Tanya Stephens close proceedings, whilst the Sunday will be headlined by Seun Kuti – son of the legendary afrobeat star, Fela Kuti – with his band, Egypt 80. Following an incredible 30th anniversary year in 2022, one of Merseyside’s most picturesque green spaces will once again be filled with the music and culture of Africa, the Caribbean and the Diaspora,…
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Africa Oyé Announce First Wave of Acts Ahead of 2023 Festival In Liverpool
The first three acts heading to Liverpool’s Sefton Park for this summer’s Africa Oyé Festival have been revealed. Artists from Ghana, Guinea-Bissau and Cameroon make up the first wave of performers to be announced by organisers with plenty more still to come. Following an incredible 30th anniversary year in 2022, one of Merseyside’s most picturesque green spaces will once again be filled with the music and culture of Africa, the Caribbean and the Diaspora, for two free days…
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Jamie Webster, Lady Leshurr & Bob Vylan Announced For Sound City 2023 Conference
Liverpool Sound City, the UK’s independent music conference and AIM UK’s ‘Conference in The North’, has announced its first wave of speakers and panels for the upcoming 2023 conference. For over 15 years, Sound City has remained at the fore of global music conference and industry leadership, welcoming leading industry figures, emerging artists and aspiring music business professionals to Liverpool for a full-day programme of educational panels, in-conversations and networking parties. Sound City 2023 is a must-attend for music professionals, artists, entrepreneurs and aspiring creatives alike, as music…
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Sound City Announces Second Wave of Artists For 2023 Including Sheffield’s Heavyweights The Reytons
Sound City is thrilled to announce that Sheffield indie heavyweights The Reytons will be headlining this year’s festival on Saturday 29 April, alongside rapidly rising pop star Maisie Peters who will headline on Sunday 30 April. Fresh off the back of releasing their new album What’s Rock And Roll? which is set to become the band’s first UK #1 album imminently, The Reytons are gaining momentum at immense speed. Their live shows are renowned for their electrifying energy and almost tribalistic, unified atmosphere. Their anthemic blend of huge…
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Sound City Festival Announces First Wave of Unmissable Artists For 2023
Sound City Festival has revealed its first huge headline act for 2023, along with a host of other incredible breakthrough artists heading to Liverpool next April. Homegrown pop superstar and songwriting sensation Maisie Peters will headline Sound City – the must-attend celebration of music discovery, and undisputedly the UK’s independent festival for new music. Kicking off festival season with a plethora of the most exciting emerging acts spanning a multitude of genres, Sound City delivers the ultimate festival to discover…
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bluedot Festival 2022: Review
Following a two-year hiatus, bluedot festival was back with a bang this weekend. The award-winning music, science and culture festival is hosted at Jodrell Bank Observatory, the home of the awe-inspiring Lovell Telescope – one of the biggest telescopes in the world and an icon of global astronomy. 20,000 festival goers descending to UNESCO World Heritage Site for an incredible four days of music and cosmic culture. Crowds enjoyed headline performances from Björk and The Halle Orchestra, Mogwai,…
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Liverpool Arab Arts Festival Celebrates 20 Years In The City With Packed Programme
A ten-day festival of Arab music and culture will take place across venues in Liverpool starting this Thursday evening at the Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room. Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) has put together a diverse programme of events for their 2022 edition, curated around the theme ‘A Point of Connection’ – Nuqtat Wasl in Arabic – and marking 20 years since the first festival was held in the city. Earlier this year, festival fans welcomed the news that the hugely…
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Africa Oyé 2022: What To Expect From This Year’s Local Talent
Much awaited after its two-year hiatus, Africa Oyé returns to Sefton Park on 18 and 19 June. This year sees the festival celebrate its 30th anniversary, obtaining status as one of Liverpool’s most beloved annual events. Its international lineup of artists is also complemented by a whole host of local talent, with its ‘Introduces’ initiative and community programme. Read all about this year’s Africa Oyé festival, from the headliners to the Active Zone and much…
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Baltic Weekender 2022: Review
A highlight of the four-day bank holiday weekend, it’s safe to say that Baltic Weekender has been reinstated as one of the ‘go-to’ multi-genre festivals in Liverpool. The once industrialised area of the Baltic Triangle is now a hub for the alternative. With its venues being the former warehouses that surround Jamaica Street, it the perfect setting for this weekend’s occasion. The Baltic Weekender team put on another weekend of varied acts across the venues…
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Sound City 2022: Review
Sound City celebrated its 15th anniversary in style earlier this month, with some truly exciting up-and-coming artists taking to the multiple stages across city centre venues. First up on Friday, Sound City+, the festival’s industry conference took place, with some fascinating panel discussions, talks and interviews happening in various venues. We’ve always found Sound City+ to be a great learning and networking experience for those involved in the music industry. Then, on Saturday the music…
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Sound City 2022 Preview – Top 10 One’s To Watch At This Year’s Festival
Sound City returns for its 15th anniversary on 30 April – 1 May, with the music festival taking over Liverpool’s independent music venues once again. A multitude of acts will be heading to hotspot venues such as LEAF, Phase One and The Jacaranda Club. As excitement grows for music lovers, Sound City get to welcome back some familiar faces and introduce some up and coming acts. Here are some artists that should definitely be on…
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Africa Oyé Is Back June 2022, Celebrating 30th Anniversary
A Grammy Award-winning Malian musician, an Afrobeats pioneer, and a reggae legend will headline The Africa Oyé Festival this summer. The festival team are delighted to announce that Oumou Sangaré, Fuse ODG and Eek-A-Mouse will top the bill at this year’s free celebration of African and Caribbean culture in Liverpool, along with a host of other acclaimed acts appearing on the line-up. Following a two-year hiatus brought on by the pandemic, the festival returns to…
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Sound City 2022 Preview: Bandit Q&A
Lively northern, indie rock 4-piece Bandit will be playing at Sound City this year, so we caught up with them to talk about their music, performing live and what 2022 has in store for them. Liverpool Noise: For anyone reading this who might not know who you are, how would you best describe yourselves as a band? Bandit: Y’alreet mon cheri’s, we are Bandit. We’re the indie poster boys, but we’re on the darker end…
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bluedot Festival Headliners Announced
Björk, Groove Armada, Mogwai, Metronomy and Hannah Peel to headline bluedot 2022. Award-winning festival reveals music, science and culture line-up featuring a UK Festival Exclusive from Björk Orchestral. bluedot has revealed the first wave of artists for this year with Björk, Groove Armada and Mogwai headlining the fifth instalment of the award-winning music, science and culture event at Cheshire’s iconic Jodrell Bank Observatory taking place 21–24 July 2022. One of the most influential and groundbreaking…
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Sound City 2021 Review & Artist Playlist
Sound City made a triumphant comeback last weekend and for the first time in a long time things felt kind of normal. The festival’s return to city centre venues certainly brought back some nostalgia as well as acting as a reminder of what life felt like pre-pandemic. It felt good to be heading from venue to venue, despite the bad weather and some full capacity lockouts at certain times over the three days. There was…
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Sound City 2021 Preview: Our Top Ten Artists Not to Be Missed
Sound City returns to Liverpool city centre venues this weekend and we can’t wait to catch sets from some amazing local talent across the three day festival. I think we share the excitement of many who are so glad to see Sound City return to its roots, with festival goers milling around town heading from one venue to another, immersing in the party-like atmosphere. Over 175 acts will take over the city’s music venues with…
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bluedot 2022 confirms Björk as closing headliner
In a UK festival exclusive, bluedot Festival (21-24 July 2022) has announced a unique Björk performance as Sunday night headliner. The genre-spanning pioneer will be joined by The Hallé Orchestra at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jodrell Bank Observatory, accompanied by a projection mapping spectacle. The audio-visual performance will feature video and animated projections on the iconic Lovell Telescope, for a unique show exclusive to bluedot. This will be the first-time audiences at bluedot…
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Sound City 2021 Confirms Venues & Adds More Names To Lineup
Sound City is returning to its city centre roots as they announce venues and even more acts are added to the festival lineup. Sound City continues its preparations for an emphatic festival return this October – sitting not only as the definitive home of new music discovery in 2021 but also the celebrated return of the festival to its inner-city roots in the heart of Liverpool. Returning to the streets that originally played host to…
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Everyone is invited out to ‘Play’ for LightNight Liverpool
Liverpool’s annual ‘culture-crawl’ LightNight returns to the city on Friday 21 May, when arts venues will throw open their doors until late at night to shine a spotlight on the region’s world-class artistic offer. Open Culture revealed the line-up of over 75 free arts events across the 30 venues taking part in the one-night only arts festival. With a combination of in-person events in Liverpool city centre, and an online events programme, the theme of…
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LightNight Liverpool Unveils Seven New Commissions for 2021 Event
LightNight Liverpool will unveil seven new commissions when it returns on Friday 21 May 2021, in a combination of online and offline arts activity for the one night only arts festival. With a live drag cabaret event on Church Street, a synth-pop trio becoming a human instrument, a 3D cut out opera and a piece exploring sound waves and social gatherings, the theme of this year’s festival is ‘Play’. The theme ‘Play’ allows a reflection…
Festivals are at the heart of Liverpool’s cultural identity, bringing people together to celebrate music, art, food, film, and community. The city has a long tradition of hosting vibrant festivals that reflect its creativity and diversity, offering something for everyone throughout the year. Whether you’re a music lover chasing the buzz of live performances, a family looking for fun days out, or a foodie ready to explore new flavours, Liverpool’s festival scene has it all.
Music festivals are among Liverpool’s biggest draws, showcasing everything from local grassroots talent to international superstars. Events like Sound City attract huge crowds with eclectic line-ups, while festivals such as Africa Oyé shine a spotlight on global sounds, reggae culture, and community spirit. For fans of electronic music, events like Creamfields (just outside the city) and independent club-led festivals deliver world-class DJ sets and unforgettable all-night parties.
The city also thrives with arts and culture festivals, celebrating creativity in all its forms. Liverpool Biennial, the UK’s largest festival of contemporary visual art, transforms the city every two years with thought-provoking exhibitions, installations, and performances. DaDaFest champions disabled and Deaf artists through powerful work that challenges perspectives, while Homotopia Festival celebrates LGBTQIA+ culture through theatre, cabaret, and visual arts.
For families and food lovers, food and drink festivals are a huge part of the Liverpool calendar. The likes of the Baltic Market’s street food events bring together the best of local restaurants, bars, breweries, and independent traders. Visitors can sample cuisines from around the world, enjoy cooking demonstrations, and discover hidden gems from Liverpool’s food scene. Seasonal favourites like Christmas markets and Easter festivals also provide plenty of fun for all ages, with live entertainment, craft stalls, and activities for kids.
Film fans and culture-seekers aren’t left out either. The city plays host to Liverpool Film Festival, and smaller community-led screenings that celebrate both local filmmakers and international cinema. These events provide the perfect opportunity to enjoy films in unique settings while supporting independent cinema.
No matter the season, Liverpool’s festivals bring a sense of excitement, colour, and togetherness to the city. They reflect the city’s heritage, creativity, and welcoming spirit, making them an essential part of life in Liverpool. Whether you’re planning your festival calendar for the year, discovering new music and art, or just looking for a fun weekend with friends, there’s always something happening to capture your imagination.
Our Festivals category keeps you up to date with the best events across the city region. From major annual highlights to smaller niche gatherings, we cover everything so you don’t miss a moment of Liverpool’s thriving festival scene.