WELCOME TO LIVERPOOL In 2018 Liverpool celebrates a decade since its year as European Capital of Culture, a year that over time will be recognised as one of the pivotal moments in the extraordinary history of this city. It kickstarted a renaissance both physical and emotional which is greater than any other city in Europe during that time, and added fuel to the fire of our extraordinary cultural and creative scene. The explosion of music, festivals, food, art and performance in the years since 2008 has made the city the most exciting in the UK, and we want to use Liverpool 2018 as a chance to recognise the leading cultural and creative offer which Liverpool now boasts. We want to make sure conference delegates visiting the city in 2018 have a wonderful time. So if you re here for a conference at ACC Liverpool or any of our other outstanding conference venues, please stay a while. Experience the city s cultural and lifestyle offer and make your stay in Liverpool ONE to remember. Joe Anderson, OBE Mayor of Liverpool
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major events. This city is a stage and no one does big outdoor events like Liverpool. @visitliverpool @visitliverpool_ visitliverpool.com
Bordeaux Wine Festival Dates 25 28 May Location Liverpool Pier Head Tickets bwfliverpool.com During the last bank holiday weekend in May, the most celebrated wine event in Europe, Bordeaux Fête le Vin (The Bordeaux Wine Festival), will be coming to Liverpool while the Tall Ships are in the city. Perfect for food and wine lovers, this ticketed event will bring the very best of France s food and drink to the Pier Head during one of the most electric happenings in the city. This is the first time the prestigious event has ever come to the UK and will be animating Liverpool s iconic waterfront with a truly unique experience of the best of Bordeaux s famous export, paired with breathtaking performances and exceptional food. Renowned artists Faith Bebbington, Lulu Quinn, Wired Aerial and Luke Jerram will be presenting new commissions as part of the Tall Ships festival.
CBBC SUMMER SOCIAL Dates 3-5 Aug Location Croxteth Hall and Country Park Tickets bbc.co.uk/cbbcsummersocial The biggest live event ever undertaken by CBBC, showcasing the very best CBBC talent and the most popular shows including The Next Step, The Worst Witch, Deadly 60, Saturday Mash-Up!, Got What It Takes and the Pets Factor. There will also be appearances from CBBC royalty including Hacker T Dog, Sam and Mark, Naomi Wilkinson, Ben Shires and many more. For younger fans, CBeebies favourite, Mr Tumble will be on site along with a CBeebies Village packed with enticing activities and performances. Swashbuckle s Cook and Line will be causing mayhem, there will be a chance to go wild with Andy Day, learn about pets with Ferne and Rory from Vet s Tales, have a boogie at the groovy Go Jetters disco and even listen to a Bedtime Story or two. All around Croxteth Country Park visitors can discover immersive activity zones, theatre shows, interactive and inspiring art workshops and live appearances from the most popular children s authors. And if that s not enough there will also be junior discos, slime experimenting, themed treasure hunts, gaming areas, character walkabouts, vlogger meet and greets and much much more.
Rapid Response unit Dates Ongoing Location St John s Shopping Centre Free Rapid Response Unit is a year of news seen through the lens of leading national and international artists as they respond to global events and world stories as they happen. The Future World of Work Dates 12 Jun - Nov Location Various Free In The Future World of Work, commissioned artists will create a series of provocations addressing the question with A.I. set to take up to half of human jobs in the next two decades, what does that mean for society? Three Festivals Tall Ships Regatta Dates 25-28 May Location Liverpool and Wirral Waterfronts Free An international fleet of Tall Ships will return to the Mersey for the fifth time. An incredible creative programme called Changing Tides will see commissions including a 23ft moon in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Dates 28-29 Jul Location Albert Dock Free Liverpool welcomes back the intrepid amateur adventurers of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, 11 months and 40,000 gruelling nautical miles after they left Albert Dock in summer 2017.
Lost Castles Dates 11-12 Aug Location Various Free Liverpool will welcome French artist Olivier Grossetête - renowned for recreating extraordinary structures out of cardboard who will work with communities to recreate lost castles from across Liverpool and its surrounding areas in the exact places they once stood! The City of Liverpool Tattoo Dates 14-15 Sep Location Echo Arena Liverpool Tickets available at: visitliverpool.com/ Liverpooltattoo A spectacular City of Liverpool Tattoo is being held for the first time ever in 2018, promising two days of brilliant bands and entertainment at Echo Arena Liverpool.
The Kazimier presents LEISURELAND 2018 Dates Sep Location Various Free LeisureLand will be a walk-through visitor attraction offering a wealth of experiences designed to offer true fulfilment. The Invisible Wind Factory, located in Liverpool s North Docks, will be transformed into a world of exploration and discovery. BRITTLE HEART Dates 12 Oct - 11 Nov Location Various Mixture of free and ticketed events A season of work to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. It will look at the world a century ago and aim to draw comparisons with 2018 and the future. PIRATES ON THE DOCK Dates 15-16 Sep Location Albert Dock Free Bring the whole family to the dock to enjoy our legendary swash buckling pirate and mermaid adventure! Enjoy live cannon battles and thrilling action under sail plus a whole host of FREE family entertainment. River of Light Dates 4 Nov Location Liverpool & Wirral Waterfronts Free Waterfront fireworks will return for a third year. Pre-show entertainment will build to a spectacular final show from the team responsible for some of the biggest displays in the world.
MUSIC AND FESTIVALS. Summer music. Summer festivals. Summer sorted. @visitliverpool @visitliverpool_ visitliverpool.com
LIMF Dates 21-22 Jul Location Sefton Park Tickets limfestival.com Get ready for Liverpool International Music Festival 2018 as it heads back to the magnificent Sefton Park for another weekend of unforgettable music. On the 21-22 July, the stage will be set once again to showcase a diverse set of global household names alongside a plethora of emerging new talent that LIMF has become renowned for. Over 70 artists including Haçienda Classiçal, Basement Jaxx (DJ Set), Wiley, Example & DJ Wire, Jax Jones, Stefflon Don, Aurora, Young Fathers, Rae Morris, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Trevor Nelson, Gilles Peterson plus many more will perform live as part of this year s unmissable line-up. Over the two days, LIMF will play homage to Liverpool s ever-evolving relationship with music and its creative cultural diversity to bring a little something for everyone. With up to 18 hours of live music from Pop to Urban to House across three stages, as well as fun activities for the family, LIMF s got it all covered. So come join in the 2018 celebrations, it s going to be epic Tickets will be 10 per person per day for walkups on the weekend itself. Or you can upgrade to the popular VIP ticket for just 15 per person* *Including fees. Terms and conditions apply.
Positive Vibrations Dates 8-9 Jun Location Baltic Triangle Tickets available at: posvibefest.com Award winning Festival of Reggae which will take over the Baltic Triangle. Africa OyÉ 2018 Dates 16-17 Jun Location Sefton Park Free One of the biggest free African music festivals all set in the beautiful surroundings of the world famous Sefton Park. indika Dates 13-20 Jun Location Various Tickets available at: milapfest.com INDIKA is the largest Festival of Indian Dance and Music in Europe, featuring a number of new European premiere events. Liverpool Arab Arts Festival Dates 5-15 Jul Location Various Free The UK s leading annual festival celebrating Arabic Art and Culture.
The FÉis Liverpool Dates 7 Jul Location Liverpool Waterfront Tickets available at: universe.com/ feis2018 Featuring some of the biggest names in Irish music, both contemporary and traditional, The Féis Liverpool will be the biggest celebration of Irish culture the city has seen. Brouhaha Dates 7-8 Jul Location Various Free An innovative global festival for a global city including performances, parades and community events.
Folk on the Dock Dates 25-27 Aug Location Liverpool and Wirral Waterfronts Free World-class local, national and international artists of folk, roots and acoustic converge on Albert Dock over August Bank Holiday weekend for a live music festival on the city s iconic waterfront. Liverpool Food and Drink Festival Liverpool Comedy Festival Dates 14-30 Sep Location tbc Free Tickets available at: liverpoolcomedy festival.com Top comedians from around the UK will descend on Liverpool to turn the funniest city in the UK into the funniest city in the world! Dates 15-16 Sep Location Sefton Park Tickets available at: liverpoolfoodanddrink festival.co.uk The biggest food and drink festival in the North West returns to showcase the city s finest flavours and tastes.
Smash the Keys Dates 20-30 Sep Location Various Tickets available at: smashthekeys.com Smash the Keys is a ten day music festival that puts the humble piano centre stage. Expect to hear all forms and genres, from jazz to grime, hip hop to swing played by some of the biggest names in music. DaDa Fest Dates Nov - Dec Location tbc Free Celebrating the best in worldwide disability arts. creamfields Dates 23-26 Aug Location Daresbury, Cheshire Tickets available at: creamfields.com /tickets There are big music festivals and then there is Creamfields, undoubtedly one of the world s leading electronic music festivals! This year it returns for 4 days across the August Bank Holiday, with an unbeatable line up featuring over 300 of the world s hottest dance acts and over 70,000 people flocking to the sell-out show. creamfields.com
Visual Art, Exhibitions and CULTURE. The UK s best art and exhbitions. Step this way. @visitliverpool @visitliverpool_ visitliverpool.com
China s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors Dates 9 Feb - 28 Oct Location World Museum Tickets liverpoolmuseums.org.uk For over 2,000 years, an underground army of lifesized terracotta warriors secretly guarded the tomb of China s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, until a chance discovery in 1974 unlocked the mysteries of a vanished empire. Showcasing objects from one of the world s greatest archaeological discoveries, this unmissable exhibition spans almost 1,000 years of Chinese history; from the conflicts and chaos of Image: Charioteer Mr. Ziyu Qiu the Warring States period, to the achievements and legacy of the Qin and Han dynasties. The exhibition will include a number of objects that have never been on show in the UK before including material from museums and institutes from across Shaanxi Province, excavated over the last 40 years from the Imperial Mausoleum and selected tombs.
Giant Spectacular Dates 4-7 Oct Location Various Free After four years of speculation, rumours and crossed fingers, it s official they re back! Liverpool and Wirral get ready to walk in the footsteps of Giants. Preparations are underway as the city gears up to welcome some very special Giant visitors for what will be their third and final Liverpool experience. Royal de Luxe, the world s leading street theatre company, is returning to its second home for an unmissable show from Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 October 2018. Fans of the previous Giant Spectaculars won t be surprised to hear plans for the October outing are currently under lock and key, and all that can be confirmed so far is that the action will take place in areas of Wirral and Liverpool, and the theme of the four days is Liverpool s Dream. Find out the latest information at: giantspectacular.com
Ei Arakawa, Harsh Citation, Harsh Pastoral, Harsh Münster, 2017. Photo: Henning Rogge
Liverpool Biennial: Beautiful World Where Are You? Dates 14 Jul - 28 Oct Location Various Free Liverpool Biennial is the largest festival of contemporary art in the UK, with free exhibitions and events taking over the city s public spaces, galleries and museums once every two years. In 2018, the Biennial marks 20 years of presenting international art in the city and region. Liverpool Biennial 2018 invites artists and audiences to reflect on a world in social, political and economic turmoil. More than 40 leading artists from around the world present work that responds to the call Beautiful World, Where are You? and engages with the city and its people. Some of the new locations this year include the Grade I listed St George s Hall, the Playhouse Theatre and Victoria Gallery & Museum. Visitors are also invited to explore stories evoked by objects and artefacts from the city s collections and architecture. Highlights include a series of public sculptures at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral made by local school children with artist Ryan Gander; a new video installation by iconic filmmaker Agnès Varda; Holly Hendry s large-scale sculpture taking over a public square; and film portraits of Liverpool musicians by artist and composer Ari Benjamin Meyers. biennial.com
Presence: A Window Into Contemporary Chinese Art Dates 9 Feb - 3 Jun Location St George s Hall Free Coinciding with China s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors Exhibition at the World Museum around the corner, feast your eyes on a complementary exhibition of cutting edge contemporary art that celebrates our current relationship with China and looks to the future. From Snapshot To WeChat Dates 5 Apr - 25 Jun Location Open Eye Gallery Free Snapshot to WeChat is about the life and stories of everyday people in China from the 80s to the present day - as they photographed it. The three projects explore the power of the image in creating identity, including a portrait / selfie project in Liverpool and China. China Dream- 中国梦 Dates 16 Feb - 31 Oct Location Various Free Chinese New Year heralded the start of China Dream, a nine-month season of cultural commissions from contemporary Chinese artists, all coinciding with the famous Terracotta Warriors first European visit in a generation. This is Shanghai Dates 14 Jul 7 Sep Location Cunard Building and Waterfront Free Curated by Jiang Jiehong, This is Shanghai will feature 13 of China s most renowned and emerging contemporary artists, including Zhang Peili, Yang Fudong, Xu Zhen and Liang Yue. This exhibition is brought to Liverpool in partnership with Open Eye Gallery supported by ShanghART and funded by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Image: Lu Xinjian
Paint Your Wagon Dates 3 Mar - 14 Jul Location Everyman Theatre Tickets available at: everymanplayhouse.com Following last year s unforgettable Fiddler on the Roof, the same creative team invites you to join the Everyman Company for a sensational foot-tapping hoedown. A Clockwork Orange Dates 14 Apr - 12 Jul Location Everyman Theatre Tickets available at: everymanplayhouse.com Liverpool Literary Festival Dates 19-21 Oct Location Various Tickets available at: liverpool.ac.uk literary-festival/ This October, the second Liverpool Literary Festival will take place hosted by the University of Liverpool; a fascinating weekend of discussions, readings, workshops and debates designed to celebrate the work of award-winning writers including Sir Tony Robinson, Val McDermid, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Colm Tóibín and Claire Tomalin. In his notorious novel of teen culture gone bad, Anthony Burgess unleashed amoral Alex on the world. And in this, his own stage adaptation, the story comes dangerously to life, slicing open society with a steely poetic edge and taking a good hard look deep inside.
LightNight: Transformation Dates 18 May (5pm to late) Location Various Free With more than 100 events staged across some 50 venues, LightNight is Liverpool s free one night arts festival. collide Dates 14 Jul - 28 Oct Location FACT Liverpool Free In this ambitious collaboration between the world s leading scientific research centre CERN - famous for the Large Hadron Collider and being the cradle of the World Wide Web and artists from across the globe, Collide is a commissioning prize exploring the relationship between art and science. Life in Motion: Egon Schiele / Francesca Woodman Dates 24 May - 23 Sep Location Tate Liverpool, Tickets available at: tate.org.uk/visit/ tate-liverpool Ten years on from the acclaimed exhibition of Gustav Klimt, Tate Liverpool showcases the works of his radical protégé, Egon Schiele, alongside the sublime photography of Francesca Woodman. Advanced booking discounts available. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Dates 30 Nov - 5 Jan Location Unity Theatre Tickets available at: unitytheatre.co.uk Head to the Unity Theatre for one of the most wonderful stories ever told! Action Transport again joins forces with Unity Theatre for this highly theatrical and bold retelling of this classic family tale.
sport. World-class sport. We ve got it covered. @visitliverpool @visitliverpool_ visitliverpool.com
Red Bull Drift Shifters Dates 19 Aug Location The Strand Tickets redbull.co.uk/driftshifters Red Bull Drift Shifters arguably one of the biggest, loudest and most precise motorsport events to ever hit the UK is coming to Liverpool this summer. The world s best drifters are heading to Merseyside on Sunday 19 August to showcase their skills as they rip through the city streets just feet from the crowds in the shadow of the iconic Royal Liver Building. The event will bring 12 of the world s best drifters together, testing their nerve as they re put on a custom track, rigged with advanced proximity and speed sensors. Ten thousand spectators will be as close to the action as physically possible to witness the drivers putting their skills, speed and precision to the test. As they manoeuvre their way around the features, they will score points for the speed, angle and proximity of their cars to the obstacles. The closer, the better. Dreamt up by New Zealand professional drifter Mad Mike Whiddett, spectators should come prepared for an adrenaline-fuelled event that will test nerves to the max and wow with precision driving like never seen before in the UK. Please note when purchasing tickets: Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult ticket holder, ID checks will be in place at the gates. For safety reasons, no spectators under five years old will be allowed entry.
The Liverpool International Horse Show Dates 28-31 Dec Location Echo Arena Tickets liverpoolhorseshow.com The Liverpool International Horse Show returns to the Echo Arena as the final event of Liverpool 2018 from 28th 31st December. Enjoy world-class show jumping with international horses and riders competing for a 200,000 prize fund. Every performance is packed with entertainment to wow the whole family, with live music, the Shetland Pony Grand National, Freestyle Motocross, and much more! Arrive early to explore the shopping village, where you can watch the horses warm up behind the scenes, meet the riders, whilst enjoying the ringside champagne bar. A unique way to celebrate New Year s Eve with the whole family! The final session will start with the Liverpool International Grand Prix, followed by special performances by all the acts, and live music to countdown to midnight with a spectacular indoor firework display to see in 2019 in style!
The Art of Football Dates 14 Jun - 15 Jul Location Various artoffootball.co.uk Coinciding with the 2018 FIFA World Cup, The Art Of Football is a celebration of the creative culture and social fabric which underpins the beautiful game. From the ritualistic experience of fandom to the tapestries and soundtracks of the terraces, each facet of the modern human condition can be explored through the prism of the globe s most beloved sport. Boccia World Championships Dates 9-19 Aug Location Exhibition Centre Liverpool Tickets available at: exhibitioncentreliverpool. com Boccia is a precision ball sport that is played by people with impairments that affect motor skills and is the fastest growing Paralympic sport. STIHL TIMbErSPORTS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Dates 19-20 Oct Location Echo Arena Tickets available at: echoarena.com The STIHLTIMBERSPORTS World Championship sees the best athletes from across the globe compete in a series of woodchopping challenges utilizing axes and saws.
Rugby League Test England v New Zealand Dates 3 Nov Location Anfield Stadium Tickets on sale: rugby-league.com Anfield will host the second test in a three match international series between England and New Zealand. In 2016 the final of the rugby league four nations was a sell out success at the home of Liverpool FC and this clash is certain to be another major sporting moment in the city. football Awarded ESPN s Greatest UK Sporting City title in 2017, sport is the beating heart of this city. The success of our football teams has made the name Liverpool famous globally. And we re home to the world s greatest horse race and some of the best golf courses in Britain. Experience Premier League football in the UK s most successful football city. Liverpool, five-time European champions and league champions 18 times with millions of fans around the world and Everton, nine-time league champions and one of the oldest clubs in European football. Or book a tour at the footballing meccas of Anfield and Goodison. Immerse yourself in the history and atmosphere with a not-to-be-missed behind the scenes tour. liverpoolfc.com evertonfc.com
INSIDERS GUIDE. Food and drink. Music. Shopping. Waterfront. Get to know the real us. @visitliverpool @visitliverpool_ visitliverpool.com
Liverpool is a city of makers and dreamers food AND drink David and Oliver Independent Liverpool @IndpndtLiv Liverpool s independent scene has never felt so explosive. We ve been faced with the almost impossible task of picking just 5 independents to visit. We did our best. For coffee, head to Bold Street Coffee at Santa Maluco on Castle Street. Rodizio style pizza in Liverpool s bustling Business District provides the perfect backdrop to Liverpool s favourite cup of coffee. For food, check out Oktopus. They specialise in unique European small plates and craft beer with a focus on fresh fish and seafood. For drinks, head to Bunch, Liverpool s first natural wine bar that specialise in smallbatch wines you d struggle to find anywhere else. It s a place where one glass quite easily turns in to a bottle and as long as Bobby and his partner Lara are pouring them, you won t want to leave. Liverpool is a city of makers and dreamers and it never feels more apparent after visiting The Wild Loaf. They bake out of a gorgeous small shop down an unassuming alley where you can buy fresh bread alongside their cityfamous fresh doughnuts. For a unique daily shop, head to Matta s. It s the people s premiere shop for international, vegan and healthy foods. They re a familyrun business that have been going for way over 30 years.
SANTA MALUCO xxxxxxxxxx OKTOPUS BUNCH
BOLD STREET HARVEY NICHOLS LIVERPOOL ONE
Liverpool is brimming with hidden gems shopping Stephi LaReine Fashion Blogger @StephiLaReine Liverpool is brimming with hidden gems, and the wonderful aspect about this city is how everything is within a short walking distance. Bold Street is the centre of everything hip and happening right now. You can head up to one of the many boutique shops including Resurrection and Pop Boutique for bespoke and unique fashion finds by independent designers. I really enjoy Shared Earth as it s a treasure chest full of homeware delights that pride themselves in being 100% fair-trade. It s a great place for a souvenir, or a select piece for your home. But if I really want to hit the town, Liverpool ONE is coated in high street shops, as well as luxury designer experiences. And check out Metquarter and Cavern Walks too. Vivienne Westwood and Boudoir Boutique are my favourite spots, where you will be guaranteed to find something for any fashionista. Finally every trip to Liverpool is complete with a stroll around Harvey Nichols for a full Liverpudlian pamper.
we re entering a new golden age music Invisible Wind Factory is praised for some of the best new music and events. From House raves to about-to-blow bands, this converted warehouse is ushering in the new vibe on the North Docks. Yaw Owusu Nothin But The Music, Creative Director @MrYawOwusu From themed music museums to UNESCO music awards, some may believe our musical glory lies in the past. In fact we re entering a new golden age. Here are 5 venues for those with an appetite for new music. 24 Kitchen Street - a small space but with BIG things happening. This venue, tucked away in the Baltic Triangle, houses Grime, Electronic and Experimental nights; the ultimate spot for discovering the new and next. Camp and Furnace provides some of the most interesting and diverse music events, from well-known club nights to Lip Sync battles and throwback parties, there s always a high energy surprise happening. To round off my 5, The Buyer s Club on Hardman Street, quietly ticking along with great showcase events and top draw DJ-led nights. New spot 81 Renshaw Street is now the place to go for new bands and promoters. Honourable mentions to stalwarts Jacaranda and The Cavern and newbies like HUS and E.B.G.B.S.
81 RENSHAW STREET Peter Goodbody INVISIBLE WIND FACTORY BUYER S CLUB
ALBERT DOCK TATE LIVERPOOL OPEN EYE GALLERY
Liverpool - it s a city that ticks all boxes waterfront Sue Grindrod Chief executive, Albert Dock Liverpool @GrindrodSue For visitors, there is so much to see and do, whether your passion is music, architecture, sport, or dining out. That s the beauty of Liverpool - it s a city that ticks all boxes. My top five must-visit recommendations on the waterfront would be: Tate Liverpool, Albert Dock - the most visited art gallery outside London and holds a national collection of modern art. This year they celebrate their 30th anniversary with a new summer exhibition, Life In Motion: Egon Schiele/ Frances Woodman. Open Eye Gallery, Mann Island - a unique photography gallery that is flying the flag for photography, attracting really interesting work, and importantly, works closely with the local community. RIBA North it s great that RIBA decided to locate its new national architecture centre in Liverpool on our UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront. It is one of our hidden gems. ACC Liverpool One of the country s leading venues for conferences, exhibitions and events. A world class facility! Albert Dock - I know this might be biased, but I have to say the Dock. We welcome over 6m visitors every year who come to see Tate Liverpool, Merseyside Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum and the Beatles Story, not to mention our programme of free, family events that run throughout the year.
Ten years in the making, Liverpool 2018 is a thrilling, not-to-be-missed celebration of the city, its culture and creativity. Experience a kaleidoscope of art, music, theatre, technology, style and sport, as Liverpool s signature mix of creative risk-taking and magical happenings take centre stage. Check out visitliverpool.com for a definitive guide to what s on. Designed by Marketing Liverpool.