What's on in Liverpool, 25–31 October 2026: Aintree racing and Halloween Family Day cancelled, with remaining half-term events and River of Light updates.
Still looking for something to do in Liverpool between Sunday 25 and Saturday 31 October? Aintree's Sunday racing and Halloween Family Fun Day are cancelled. Browse the remaining half-term activities, Halloween shows and late-month gigs below. River of Light is back on from Monday 26 October, 4pm to 9pm, after storms cancelled Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October.
Updated 27 October. Remaining events take priority in this guide. Earlier gigs, shows and the original full-month listings are further down for reference. Outdoor activities may still change because of the weather, so check the organiser on the day.
Planning ahead to November and December? The Liverpool Christmas Markets 2026 guide now has the confirmed opening dates, daily hours, free-entry details and skating ticket prices for both St George's Plateau and the Pier Head waterfront.
Original venue listings were checked on 22 September 2026; the River of Light cancellation and selected late-October plans were rechecked on 24 October. That is not a guarantee that every event or ticket is still available. Follow each official event link before setting out.
Affiliate disclosure: Some ticket links in this article are affiliate links. L1 Local may receive a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Our choices and descriptions are independent of any commission.
Sunday 25 October:Aintree's Halloween Family Day and racing are CANCELLED. General admission tickets will be refunded; hospitality customers will be contacted. Cancellation statement. Liverpool Irish Festival has other advertised activities and the UK Drum Show is listed at the Exhibition Centre. Check each organiser before travelling.
Friday 30 October: Tim Burton's Universe by Candlelight at St George's Hall, Punk Rock Factory at Liverpool Olympia, and the start of The Life and Times of Paddy Armstrong at Unity Theatre. Saturday 31 October: Kevin Bridges and Halloween in Concert at the arena complex, The Coral at O2 Academy, The Wonder Stuff and Inspiral Carpets at Liverpool Olympia, and the last listed night of Mean Girls at the Empire.
River of Light is back on from Monday 26 October, 4pm to 9pm.VisitLiverpool's 26 October update confirms the reopening after Friday 23, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October were cancelled. It runs until 1 November and is free. Our River of Light guide has the route and artworks.
Sunday rail disruption: Merseyrail replacement buses and cancelled early services make a usual city-centre train journey unreliable. Read our weekend travel update.
River of Light, 23 October to 1 November
Update, 27 October: River of Light is back on, nightly until 1 November. Liverpool's free trail was cancelled on Friday 23, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October because of storm conditions, and reopened on Monday 26 October. The wider programme still lists 13 artworks around the waterfront and city centre through 1 November, normally 5pm–9pm, with free admission. Check the organiser's latest notice if the weather turns again.
The organiser publishes a map and accessibility information for the trail. Allow extra journey time while Merseyrail's tunnel works continue and check access arrangements before you go. Our full River of Light 2026 guide covers the route and individual installations.
Halloween events
Liverpool has two scare attractions running through October, and several one-off Halloween night events on the 31st.
Newsham Scream Park, selected nights from 3 October
Newsham Scream Park runs its fourth season across selected nights from 3 to 31 October inside the abandoned Newsham Park Hospital on Orphan Drive, L6 7UL, with four walkthrough scare mazes plus a central food hub. Read our in-depth Newsham Scream Park guide or check dates, prices and tickets →
Farmaggedon, selected nights through October
Farmaggedon celebrates its 20th anniversary at Farmer Ted's near Ormskirk, just outside the Merseyside border. Five scare houses, zombie paintball and DJs. 16+ only. Tickets are £26 to £42 depending on the date. See our Farmaggedon vs Newsham comparison guide for maze reviews and ticket tiers.
Halloween week, 26 to 31 October
Kevin Bridges at M&S Bank Arena (31 October, 7.30pm).
Halloween in Concert at the Auditorium (31 October, 7.30pm), live orchestra playing horror and rock anthems.
The Coral homecoming show at O2 Academy Liverpool (31 October).
The Wonder Stuff and Inspiral Carpets at Liverpool Olympia (31 October).
Tim Burton's Universe by Candlelight at St George's Hall Concert Room (30 October, 7pm), with Mystery Ensemble playing Danny Elfman soundtracks. Tickets £25 to £42.
Treacherous Cretins: Frank Zappa Halloween Show at the Cavern Club Live Lounge (Monday 26 October). Tickets £15.
Half-term and family events, 26 to 30 October
Liverpool's school half-term runs Monday 26 to Friday 30 October. The main options, subject to organiser updates and weather, are:
River of Light: cancelled 23–25 October because of storms; back on nightly from 26 October until 1 November, 5pm–9pm.
Mean Girls at the Empire (matinees on Wednesday and Saturday).
Aintree Halloween Family Race Day (25 October): CANCELLED. Strong winds forced cancellation of the racing and family entertainment. General admission refunds; hospitality customers contacted. Confirmation.
Museum of Liverpool:In Loving Memory, a new exhibition on 19th-century burial customs in Liverpool cemeteries, opens 17 October. Free.
The city's National Museums Liverpool venues (Museum of Liverpool, World Museum, Walker Art Gallery) are all free and stay open through half-term. Check National Museums Liverpool for any special holiday workshops.
A standout at the end of the festival: The Life and Times of Paddy Armstrong, a one-man play by Don Wycherley based on the Guildford Four memoir Life After Life, at Unity Theatre on 30 and 31 October. Tickets £15 (concessions £12).
Exhibitions and galleries in October
British Music Experience (Cunard Building, Pier Head): 50 Years of Rock Against Racism exhibition, running to January 2027. General admission £17.50 adult, £11 child.
Walker Art Gallery:Julia Carter Preston Centenary Ceramic Display (free, runs to February 2027). A British fashion design retrospective closes 17 October.
Tate Liverpool at RIBA North (Mann Island): Contemporary exhibitions and design bookshop. Free. The main Albert Dock building is closed for renovation and is expected to reopen in 2027.
Open Eye Gallery (Mann Island): Next Up-2026 MA photography showcase (free, runs to 1 November). Book launch on 10 October.
FACT (Wood Street, Ropewalks): Rae-Yen Song solo exhibition, immersive multimedia (free, runs to December).
The Beatles Story (Royal Albert Dock): switches to winter hours from 5 October (Sunday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm, Saturdays and half-term 9am to 6.30pm). Adult £19.50, child £11.50. Book online in advance. See the Beatles Story site.
Lady Lever Art Gallery (Port Sunlight, Wirral): May Morris: Crafting a Legacy, on the Arts and Crafts embroidery pioneer. Free, runs to 1 November.
Other events at the Exhibition Centre and St George's Hall
ATHX Fitness World Series: 3 to 4 October, Exhibition Centre Liverpool. Spectator passes roughly £15 to £20.
The UK Drum Show: 24 to 25 October, Exhibition Centre Liverpool. Europe's largest drum exhibition with masterclasses and gear demos. Day ticket £25, weekend £40.
Pianist Vesselin Stanev: 9 October, St George's Hall Concert Room.
A Night at the Opera by Candlelight: 11 October, St George's Hall, 5pm.
American Superslam Wrestling: 29 October, St George's Hall, 7pm. Tickets £15 to £20.
St George's Hall guided tours: 3, 6, 9 and 31 October. Tickets £8 to £12. See Liverpool City Halls.
The arena's October calendar has five separate shows in the main hall plus two in the smaller Auditorium. The full programme is on the arena's what's on page.
The Rock Orchestra, 2 October
Arena of Fire is a 90-minute show mixing classical musicians with rock anthems, pyrotechnics and fire performers. Dates, prices and tickets →
The Pussycat Dolls, 3 October
The PCD Forever 20th anniversary arena tour, with Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberly Wyatt and Ashley Roberts, supported by Lil' Kim. Dates, prices and tickets →
Duran Duran, 23 October
Duran Duran play the arena as part of their UK tour, with special guest Pigeon. This was the scheduled opening night of River of Light, which was cancelled because of the storm. Dates, prices and tickets →
Steve Backshall's Deadly Live, 24 October (half-term)
The wildlife presenter brings a family show to the arena on the Saturday before half-term week, the headline half-term event at Kings Dock. Dates, prices and tickets →
In the smaller Auditorium on the same night, a live rock and pop orchestra plays Thriller, Time Warp, Monster Mash and Highway to Hell. Fancy dress is encouraged. Tickets from £29.50.
October at the Liverpool Empire runs from a CBeebies filming at the start of the month through to Mean Girls closing out Halloween week.
CBeebies Christmas Panto filming, 3 to 4 October
The BBC is recording the 2026 CBeebies Christmas pantomime, Treasure Island, at the Empire over a weekend, with Andy Day and CBeebies presenters. This one is sold out. The recording goes out on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer over the festive period, so anyone who missed a ticket can still watch it then. Check the Empire's listings for any late returns.
Alison Moyet, 5 October
Alison Moyet plays one night on her Songs of Yazoo tour, which sold out within days across its UK and Ireland dates. This Liverpool date is sold out. The Empire event page is worth checking for any released returns closer to the date.
Lord of the Dance, 6 to 10 October
Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance: 30 Years of Standing Ovations runs for five nights at the Empire. Dates, prices and tickets →
English National Ballet: Romeo and Juliet, 15 to 17 October
English National Ballet brings Rudolf Nureyev's Romeo and Juliet for three nights, with the ENB Philharmonic playing live. Dates, prices and tickets →
Mean Girls the Musical, 19 to 31 October
The touring production of Mean Girls runs for nearly two weeks, covering the half-term holiday. This is the show most likely to sell out Saturday performances. Dates, prices and tickets →
The Empire is at 1 Lime Street, L1 1JE, immediately beside Lime Street station.
October is one of the strongest months in the Philharmonic's season, with five RLPO concerts, a world premiere, and a run of non-orchestral evenings that are easy to miss in a general search.
Mahler Symphony No. 2, 1 October
The RLPO opens the month with Mahler's Resurrection symphony under Domingo Hindoyan, with soprano Lucy Crowe, mezzo-soprano Natalie Lewis and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir. Tickets £20 to £55.
Katherine Jenkins, 3 October
Katherine Jenkins plays the hall at 7.30pm. Tickets £38 to £75.
Burt Bacharach Songbook with the RLPO, 7 October
What The World Needs Now pairs the orchestra with guest vocalists for an evening of Bacharach songs. Tickets £22 to £52.
Orchestra Mambo International, 9 October
A 13-piece Latin and salsa big band fills the hall in standing format. Doors 7.30pm. Tickets £20 to £28.
African Soul Rebels, 10 October (Black History Month)
The Phil's Black History Month flagship concert brings Les Amazones d'Afrique, Gasper Nali and N'Famady Kouyaté together on one stage. Dates, prices and tickets →
Reece Shearsmith, 13 October
The Inside No. 9 and League of Gentlemen star launches his illustrated memoir Things I Took from the Dark with stories, curiosities and a Q&A. Tickets £28 to £38, with book bundles available.
The Rite of Spring (world premiere in the programme), 17 October
The RLPO plays Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring alongside the world premiere of Gavin Higgins' Clarinet Concerto, performed by Mark Simpson. The concert also includes Britten's Suite on English Folk Tunes. Adam Hickox conducts. Tickets £20 to £55.
Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds Live, 19 October
The full 1978 double album performed in concert format with West End vocalists, a live orchestra, band and animations. Dates, prices and tickets →
Boléro, 22 October
Dinis Sousa conducts the RLPO in a programme that ends with Ravel's Boléro, preceded by Debussy's La Mer and Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 with Mariam Batsashvili. Tickets £20 to £55.
Nobuyuki Tsujii with the RLPO, 29 October
Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii returns for Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2, with Mussorgsky's Night on the Bare Mountain and Sibelius' Symphony No. 6. Andrew Manze conducts. Tickets £22 to £58.
There is also a free Music Mondays social prescribing session on 12 October at 10.30am and 11.30am in the Music Room. Registration is required through the Philharmonic website.
Philharmonic Hall is on Hope Street, L1 9BP, between the two cathedrals. It is roughly a 10 to 15 minute walk uphill from Lime Street. Our Hope Street and Georgian Quarter guide covers the walk and nearby food.
Gigs and smaller venues in October
Still ahead: Punk Rock Factory on 30 October and The Coral, The Wonder Stuff and Inspiral Carpets on 31 October. The earlier October shows are retained below as an archive, not current booking recommendations.
30 October: Punk Rock Factory at Liverpool Olympia.
31 October:The Coral play a homecoming Halloween show at O2 Academy Liverpool. Tickets £30 to £35. Check See Tickets for availability.
31 October: The Wonder Stuff and Inspiral Carpets co-headline at Liverpool Olympia.
Earlier October gigs (already held)
1 October: Beatles Complete at the Cavern Front Stage.
1 October: RAR 50 film screening and Q&A with Roger Huddle and Tom Robinson at the British Music Experience, Cunard Building. Tickets £10 to £14.
22 October: Jenny Colquitt, solo with strings, at the British Music Experience. Tickets £15.
The Cavern runs resident acoustic artists on the Front Stage and Cavern Pub seven days a week, with free entry during the day and a modest cover on weekend evenings. The Cavern Club website has the full daily schedule.
Food and drink events
Oktoberfest at Hangar 34, 17 October
Hangar 34 on Greenland Street in the Baltic Triangle runs two four-hour sessions with German beer in steins and a live German Jukebox Band. The afternoon runs 12pm to 4pm and the evening 4.30pm to 8.30pm. General admission is £20 plus booking fee on Skiddle. Read the full Oktoberfest Liverpool 2026 guide before you book.
Albert's Schloss Oktoberfest, to 25 October
Albert's Schloss on Bold Street runs a five-week Bavarian celebration with guest beers, brass shows and artisan schnitzel. Free entry, food and drinks paid.
Plant-based food market at Sefton Park Palm House, 11 October
Part of the BlackFest programme. Free admission. The Lark Lane and Sefton Park guide covers the park and nearby food stops if you want to make an afternoon of it.
Free and lower-cost things to do
River of Light: free, 4pm to 9pm nightly through 1 November; back on from 26 October after three storm-cancelled nights.
National Museums Liverpool: free admission to the Museum of Liverpool, World Museum and Walker Art Gallery.
Open Eye Gallery and Tate at RIBA North: both free on the waterfront.
FACT: free gallery on Wood Street.
Black History Month events: many free or low cost across October.
Palm House Time Travelling Artists: free, child-friendly drop-in workshop, 27–28 October, noon–3pm. Official event details.
Cavern Club: free daytime entry for front-stage acoustic sets.
Merseyrail disruption from 11 October
Anyone travelling in from south Liverpool or further down the Northern Line should plan around engineering work that runs for most of the month. Network Rail is strengthening and waterproofing four tunnels that bring the Northern Line into the city, closing the line between Hunts Cross and Liverpool Central from Sunday 11 October to Friday 6 November, with normal services back on Saturday 7 November.
Monday to Saturday, replacement buses run between Hunts Cross and Moorfields, with amended Northern Line trains still running from Southport, Ormskirk and Headbolt Lane into Liverpool Central. On Sundays, replacement buses run between Hunts Cross and Sandhills instead. Because buses cannot access every city-centre street, the replacement services only stop at Moorfields and James Street.
Sundays are the hardest days. On 11, 18 and 25 October and 1 November, Northern Line trains from the north terminate at Sandhills instead of reaching the city centre. On 11 and 18 October, Wirral Line trains terminate at James Street, and Platform 2 there has no lift. On 25 October and 1 November, Wirral services run only as far as Birkenhead North and Rock Ferry, with replacement buses to Moorfields. Our full guide to the Hunts Cross closure has the Sunday arrangements in detail.
The closure overlaps most of the month's biggest dates: it starts the same weekend as Comic Con, and runs straight through the Irish Festival, River of Light and half-term. Build in extra time, and check Merseyrail's tunnel works page before travelling.
Getting to the venues
The Empire is directly beside Lime Street station. Philharmonic Hall and the Everyman are both on Hope Street, a 10 to 15 minute walk uphill from Lime Street. The arena, Exhibition Centre and Auditorium share the waterfront campus at Kings Dock, with Liverpool ONE bus station about five minutes away and James Street the nearest Merseyrail station. The Kings Dock car park has around 1,450 spaces.
The River of Light trail runs along the Pier Head and waterfront, starting near James Street station. O2 Academy is on Hotham Street, L3 5UF, near the city centre. Liverpool Olympia is on West Derby Road, L6 9BY, further out but on the bus route. Our guide to getting around Liverpool without a car covers the practical options.
What to check before you travel
Football kick-off times can move for television at short notice.
Theatre runs can sell out, particularly Saturday performances of Mean Girls.
Accessible seating often needs a separate booking.
Arena door times and start times vary between events.
Some free events still ask you to register.
River of Light was cancelled on 23, 24 and 25 October and reopened on 26 October. Check the organiser’s latest status before travelling if the weather turns.
The Beatles Story switches to winter hours from 5 October.
The Northern Line is closed between Hunts Cross and Liverpool Central until 6 November. Sunday 25 October also has wider Wirral Line changes and weather-related early cancellations. Check Merseyrail before leaving.
The venue's own page is more reliable than a third-party listing or an old social media graphic. If you are looking back, our September 2026 listings cover what is still running into October, including Death of a Salesman at the Everyman (to 10 October). Our Liverpool waterfront walk is a good starting point if you want to combine River of Light with a daytime visit.
Black History Month across Liverpool
October is UK Black History Month, and Liverpool's programme runs across cultural institutions throughout the month. Highlights include:
1 October: Lecture by Prof. Stephen Small on Black Liverpool.
10 October: African Soul Rebels concert at Philharmonic Hall (details above).
11 October: Plant-based food and crafts market at Sefton Park Palm House, free admission.
Events are run through Writing on the Wall and partner venues. Most are free or low cost.
Comic Con Liverpool, 10 to 11 October
Comic Con Liverpool takes over the Exhibition Centre at King's Dock for the weekend. Celebrity guests, cosplay contests, movie prop sets and gaming zones. Weekend tickets have been reported sold out. At the time of writing, Sunday tickets on Skiddle were £25 for adults (£27.75 with booking fee), £11 for ages 5 to 9, and free for under-5s. See our Comic Con Liverpool 2026 guide for guests, current Sunday tickets and the Merseyrail changes.
Royal Court and comedy in October
The Royal Court Studio on Roe Street runs a regular comedy and variety programme through October:
Rob Newman, 9 October (Royal Court Studio).
Rachel Fairburn, 15 October (Royal Court Studio).
The Martini Lounge (burlesque and variety), 16 October.
Rob Rouse, 17 October (Royal Court Studio).
Heritage Tours: selected Mondays from 5 October. Tickets £10.
Studio show tickets are typically £12 to £20.
The Southport Comedy Festival also runs from 2 to 18 October in a heated marquee at Victoria Park, Southport, with nightly headliners and the New Comedian of the Year final on 3 October. Tickets £15 to £26, on Skiddle or the Southport Comedy Festival site.
Football in October
Exact Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup fixtures for October had not been confirmed at the time of writing. Television picks and UEFA group scheduling typically push dates and kick-off times around until a few weeks before the match. Check the official fixture pages at liverpoolfc.com and evertonfc.com before booking travel. There is no Merseyside derby in October; the first derby of the 2026/27 season is scheduled for 29 November 2026.
Be cautious of third-party ticket broker sites quoting fixed October dates for high-profile fixtures before the clubs have confirmed them. Our matchday guide to Anfield and north Liverpool covers getting in and out on a match day.
Busiest dates in October
23–25 October: weather disruption
Storm-related cancellations changed the original weekend programme. River of Light did not open on Friday 23 October and was also cancelled on Saturday 24 October. Aintree racing and the Halloween Family Day are cancelled for Sunday 25 October. Do not travel to Aintree for the event. Sunday also brings major Merseyrail engineering changes and some weather-related first-service cancellations. See our updated transport guide.
Full October listings (including earlier dates)
This original full-month table is retained for reference. Dates before 25 October are past events; the remaining 25–31 October suggestions and the cancellation notice are at the top of the guide.
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