Summer in the city: Liverpool’s best festivals for 2025

From Merseybeat and Beatlemania to the punk and new wave scene associated with Eric’s, and on through the jangly indie of The La’s and The Coral, Liverpool has music in its bricks and mortar.

That makes it the perfect location for some of the best metropolitan music festivals in the UK.

Liverpool was also awarded European Capital of Culture status in 2008 and that cultural legacy remains strong with some of the most renowned arts events in the North.

Our Confidential Guides list of Liverpool’s best festivals incorporates the lot: nostalgia events celebrating the city’s musical heritage, weekenders that showcase the bright new sounds of the future and unmissable dates on the calendar of contemporary culture.

Choose from major arts events, feel-good outdoor music festivals with all the vibes of a traditional festival experience without the bother of pitching a tent, urban events where stage-diving takes on new meaning as you dash from venue to venue, and big names on big stages playing right by Liverpool’s own architectural big hitters; what a backdrop.

These city-fests are all easy to get to and from on public transport and have the benefit of allowing you to wake up in your own bed. If you’re coming from further afield, why not check out our guide to Liverpool’s hotels?