Festival Fever in Liverpool (and Beyond)

Are you lamenting Glastonbury’s year off this year? Wondering how to fill the void of festival fever for 2018?

Fear not, just because the globally renowned music and arts event is having its fallow year – which happens every six years to allow Worthy Farm and the local environment surrounding it  to recover from the annual arrival of more than 100,000 partygoers – it doesn’t mean the fun has to stop!

Liverpool Festival City

In case you weren’t already aware – Liverpool isn’t short of a summer festival or two. In fact there are hundreds of events, large and small, catering to all kinds of tastes all within an hour’s drive of Liverpool.

Here’s our top picks for events happening in the city and further afield – why not make our luxury apartments in Liverpool your base and explore the wealth of mini festivals and summer fun on the city’s doorstep.

ParentFolk Weekender – The Outdoorsy One – 9th and 10th June

Claremont Farm, Wirral (website)

Admission £7 per day (plus booking fee) 

Not strictly a festival, but a great alternative for people with young families, ParentFolk is back with another of its affordable, family focused Weekenders. Taking place at beautiful Claremont Farm, Wirral, the weekender features great food and drink stalls, family yoga and wellbeing sessions, live DJ’s, a family rave and contemporary arts and crafts.

There will also be a relaxation area, foraging walks, welly walks, den building, drumming workshops, modern face art, music workshops and independent kids and lifestyle brand pop ups – including Liverpool-based  startup Totbag, which will be showcasing and selling its innovative outdoor activity packs for kids.

 

Africa Oye – 16th and 17th June

Sefton Park, Liverpool (website)

FREE

Africa Oyé is the biggest free celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture in the UK, welcoming crowds of over 50,000 people from all over the world over the weekend. This year, highlights include Ghanaian musician and activist, Rocky Dawuni and Inner Circle, one of the world’s most respected reggae groups, renowned for their 1987 hit Bad Boys and this year celebrating their 50th anniversary. There will also be more than 40 stalls selling the best food, drink, arts and crafts and fashion from Africa and beyond, so there’s something for everyone!

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod – 3rd – 8th July

Royal International Pavilion, Llangollen (website)

Tickets from £5 – £70

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is a hidden gem of a festival. Welcoming more than 4,000 performers and 50,000 visitors each year the event takes place in the town of Llangollen, North Wales, which is nestled in the stunning rolling hills of the Dee Valley.

A six-day celebration of music, dance, goodwill and peace, the 2018 line-up features a series of evening concerts including Alfie Boe, Van Morrison, Calan and Red Priest. During the day from Tuesday – Saturday there will also be live performances from competitors, emerging bands, musicians and street performers from across the globe, as well as activities to entertain the children and food, drink and local craft stalls.

The final day of the event, Llanfest, is a self-contained mini-festival, headlined by indie-pop legends, Kaiser Chiefs, with the I Predict A Riot icons being joined by the The Hoosiers and Toploader.

Ahead of their appearance, Liverpool’s iconic Cavern Club will host its first ever pop up stage at event, with performances by their world-class resident musicians covering the countless artists that have graced The Cavern Club stage over the years.

Llanfest’s other outside stages will host other up and coming artists including Wrexham singer-songwriter Luke Gallagher, 70s/80s rock cover band Destination, Jack Found, Billy Bibby and The Wry Smiles, Camens, Lucy Mayhew, and Ben Roberts.

Liverpool Arab Arts Festival – 5th – 15th July

Various events and locations in Liverpool (website)

FREE – £12.50 (depending on event – see website for details)

Showcasing the very best of Arab culture, Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) has revealed its packed programme of events for the 2018, which features diverse art forms including music, dance, visual art, theatre, film and spoken word – not to mention fun family events.

The 2018 schedule features The Shroud Maker, a dark new satire by Ahmed Masoud, a ground-breaking production of At Home in Gaza and London, where a mix of live-streaming and recorded video bring performers in Gaza and London together and the UK premiere of documentary film Science in Exile.

The festival’s musical offering includes internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Emel Mathlouthi, who will be joined by “The Moroccan Digitalizer”, U-Cef; Bachar Zarkan with Hallaj of Hope, Simona Abdallah and a co-headline gig featuring Arab electronic hip-hop supergroup 47SOUL and trailblazing duo from the occupied Golan Heights, TootArd, with a special DJ set from Jacques Malchance.

The ten-day festival concludes with its much-loved free Family Day at Sefton Park Palm House, which will showcase some of the hottest talent in Arab music along with cultural cuisine, traditional crafts and fun activities. Family fun will include face-painting, children’s crafts and interactive sessions with LAAF’s storyteller in residence Alia Alzougbi, who will be sharing folktales from the Arab world.

LIMF – 21st – 22nd July

Sefton Park, Liverpool (website)

Admission £10 per person, per day

Back for its sixth year, In its sixth year, the award winning LIMF will welcome 70 artists to its four music areas –  Central Stage, True School Club House Stage and the itsliverpool Next Gen Stage – over two days.

Saturday highlights include Example & DJ Wirerenowned, Wiley, Stefflon Don and Brit Awards nominee Jax Jones, while Sunday will see Haçienda Classiçal take to the stage with a brand new set for 2018. Music fans can also enjoy Rae Morris, the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, R&B guru Trevor Nelson, Soul II Soul’s Jazzie B and Mercury Prize winners Young Fathers.

To book accommodation in Liverpool city centre while attending any of these events, visit www.L3Apartments.com