The arrival of spring and summer gets many people in the mood for a festival and, thankfully, Liverpool has a slew of options all year round.
The city and surrounding areas will play host to some amazing festivals, so if you failed to get your hands on an elusive Glastonbury ticket, you can take advantage of the festival experience much closer to home.
There's plenty of options to suit music lovers and food and alcohol aficionados, plus celebrations, family friendly festivities and more to enjoy - all less than two hours away in a car.
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Here are some of the best festivals in and around Merseyside well worth seeking out. Let us know which ones you're keen to attend in the comments section below.
Liverpool Sound City
Liverpool Sound City is back at the end of this month. Kicking off on April 28, it'll run until April 30, 2023. The festival is known and loved for merging local, national and international talent over one weekend.
It was one of the first festivals to host major artists like Stormzy, Alt-J and The 1975 at the beginning of their musical careers. Ticket holders this year can expect to see The Reytons, rising pop star Maisie Peters, as well as Olivia Dean, Dylan John Thomas, James Marriott, Swim Deep, SOFY, Beren Olivia, The Skinner Brothers and much more this year.
You can book tickets here, and find more information here.
Smithdown Festival
Smithdown Festival will return later this month at a variety of locations.
The festival has grown in size over the years with many bars, cafes and shops along the popular south Liverpool street getting involved. The weekend event is a chance to celebrate and support the local independent businesses that make the street so popular.
This year's festival will be held from Friday, April 28 to Monday, May 1, giving people four days of entertainment to indulge in.
For more information, click here.
Neigbourhood Weekender
Victoria Park in Warrington will play host to some major acts this May.
Sugababes, Pulp, Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott and The Kooks have all been confirmed to perform at Neighbourhood Weekender 2023, which takes place from May 27-28. There'll be plenty more live music confirmed, as well as gourmet food and drinks stalls, plus a funfair to entertain the masses.
You can find and book tickets via several outlets here.
Baltic Weekender
This homegrown event will take over the Baltic Triangle with a "mega line-up of house, techno, grime, bass music and everything in between" on June 2 and 3.
The Baltic Triangle is a hotbed of creativity, with a variety of local businesses and event spaces all within a stone's throw of one another. Baltic Weekender has utilised the quirky and independent spot to create a wild weekend for music lovers to enjoy.
You can book tickets here.
Southport Food and Drink Festival
This is one for the foodies. Also kicking off on June 2, and finishing on June 4, the event will take over Southport's Victoria Park, with a range of food and drinks from a medley of cultures.
There'll be crepes, gourmet burgers, hot wings, churros, spiral potatoes, paella and curry and more available to snap up from the food stalls, in addition to traditional British cuisine like homemade pies, chutneys, local sausages, hog roast, and ice cream from a local dairy.
Over the course of the weekend, there'll also be local bands and musicians on hand to entertain visitors. Plus, it's free to attend.
On the Waterfront
On The Waterfront will be returning to Liverpool's Pier Head in 2023 from Thursday, June 29 to Sunday, July 2.
A weekend of events will be taking place, with the gigs set in the shadow of the Three Graces on one side, with the River Mersey on the other. The 18+ event features stars including Jamie Webster, Camelphat and more. Tickets are selling fast, and can be booked here.
Save the Rave
This outdoor 90s festival will take place at Southport's Victoria Park on Saturday, July 22. Guests can take advantage of pop-up gin and prosecco bars, street food trucks, food stalls, retro 90's anthems and classics, plus a variety of performers, giveaways and more.
The open air festival will feature music from Ultrabeat, Fliop & Fill, Dave Pearce, Phats & Small, K-Klass, Angie Brown and others. For more information and to book tickets, click here.
WIMIN Festival
Merseyside is set to host a new music event this summer, with WIMIN Festival taking place on Saturday, July 29.
Based at Lock & Quay in Bootle, the event will showcase an all-female line-up of renowned musicians in a bid to shake up the festival scene. The line-up of female musicians is set to be revealed next month, while an all-female production crew works around the clock to deliver the new event to music fans from across Britain.
Early bird ticket are available for £13.50 while directly contributing to the running costs of the festival. For more information, click here.
Pride in Liverpool
Pride will make its triumphant return this summer, dominating the iconic Pier Head and city centre over one rainbow filled weekend. Like previous years, there's expected to be a march through the city which will begin at St George's Plateau, as well as a main Pride site which will feature stages where a range of entertainment and acts will perform.
The annual event, which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and culture in Liverpool, has been a highlight on many people's social calendars since it began in 2010. The dates for this year's event have yet to be confirmed, but if it follows previous year's patterns, it should take place on the final weekend of July.
For updates and further information, click here.
Kendal Calling
Kendal Calling is an annual music and arts festival, held annually at Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District, Cumbria. Initially a two day, 900 capacity event, it's grown in popularity and size to become a 25,000 capacity four day music festival.
Taking place from July 27-30, the line-up includes Kasabian, Royal Blood, Blossoms, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Kaiser Chiefs and more. For full information, visit Kendal Calling's website here.
The One In The Woods
This popular electronic festival is another entry for July, taking place in the beautiful Orrell Hill Woods from July 28-30.
It offers festival holders something a little different, with local food and drink vendors merging with 80 of the world's finest techno and drum and bass artists. It's a tranquil haven for music lovers, based in a stunning woodland setting.
Tickets aren't currently on sale, but will be available via Skiddle here. You can also sign up for £20 deposit tickets here to secure a spot at the festival. Weekend camping tickets will cost £112 plus booking fee, while weekend non-camping tickets will cost £82 plus booking fee.
Let's Rock! Liverpool
This popular retro music festival is a family friendly affair, usually jam-packed with artists bringing ticket holders the best of the 80s. Last year, performers included Billy Ocean and The Human League.
Details of the 2023 event have yet to be announced, but it's expected to take place this summer at Wavertree Playing Fields. To keep up to date on announcements, check out Let’s Rock!'s website.
Deva Fest
One of Cheshire's top rated family friendly festivals, Deva Fest 2023 will take place from August 11-13 at Cholmondeley Castle.
Ideal for families, it offers three days of music, parades, shows, and a medley of food and drink options. Music and comedy will take place across five stages, while its famous free-to-use fairground will be available to entertain the thrill-seekers.
There'll be everything from circus workshops to gin tasting, and water sports to parades. Tickets can be booked here.
Creamfields North
One of the biggest electronic music festivals makes its return to Daresbury, Cheshire, this August, dominating the summer bank holiday for many. It'll take place from August 24-27.
The line-up features major stars like Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Chase and Status, Camelphat and more. Creamfields' staggering popularity means tickets have sold out, but there's still the option of limited resale tickets.
A number of online vendors are selling tickets, including Ticketmaster, Skiddle and Viagogo.
The Liverpool Gin Festival
Gin lovers rejoice, for the much loved Liverpool Gin Festival is returning to St George's Hall in December.
Returning to the stunning building on Friday, December 1 and Saturday, December 2, the festival will once again be split into three sessions over the course of two days. It'll kick off in the late afternoon on the Friday, with mid-afternoon and early evening festivities following on the Saturday.
There'll also be live entertainment on and to keep spirits high, while hundreds of handpicked craft gins from around the world will be showcased to the masses. Shoppers can sample and buy their favourites by the glass, bottle, or the case. General admission tickets cost £11, while the VIP experience is available for £22. You can purchase tickets here.
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