If you're working out what to do in Liverpool this July, this guide covers the month's events with dates, venues, prices and how to get there. We update it through the month, so the top section always shows what's still to come.
One planning note before the listings. Met Office climate data puts average July highs here at 19°C, with around 65mm of rain spread across nine wet days. Most of the events below have an indoor backup, and we've flagged the ones that don't.
Still to come this July
Updated 22 July.
- Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 July: Philharmonic Summer Concert Series, Hope Street
- Friday 24 and Saturday 25 July: Liverpool Pride, Pier Head and city centre
- Daily until Sunday 26 July: Liverpool Art Fair at the Royal Liver Building, free entry
- Until 8 August: Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Liverpool Empire
- Every weekend: Baltic Market extended summer hours, Cains Brewery Village
- All month: summer installations on Chavasse Park at Liverpool ONE
Philharmonic Summer Concert Series (23 to 26 July)
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra presents its summer concert series at the Philharmonic Hall on Hope Street from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 July. The programme features evening orchestral concerts, alongside afternoon chamber recitals in the smaller Music Room venue. Tickets are on the orchestra's website.
The hall, built in 1939 in the Art Deco style, is fully air-conditioned and has a bar serving drinks before the show. If you're booking an evening performance, the Pen Factory next door does a seasonal menu and has a quiet courtyard for pre-concert dining.
Liverpool Pride (24 and 25 July)
Liverpool Pride takes over the waterfront and city centre on the last weekend of the month. The opening party is at the M&S Bank Arena on Friday 24 July, and the parade leaves the Three Graces at 11:30 on Saturday 25 July, with a free festival in the city centre afterwards. If you're coming in for the parade, arrive before 11:00; the Pier Head fills quickly and the nearest stations, James Street and Moorfields, get busy from mid-morning.
Liverpool Art Fair at the Royal Liver Building (until 26 July)
The 12th annual Liverpool Art Fair runs daily until Sunday 26 July on the ground floor of the Royal Liver Building (The Strand, L3 1HU), 12:00 to 17:00, free entry, with work from 245 local artists priced from £25. Full details in our Liverpool Art Fair guide.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Liverpool Empire (until 8 August)
The stage version of the Baz Luhrmann film is on at the Liverpool Empire on Lime Street until Saturday 8 August. The theatre is directly opposite Lime Street station, which makes it the easiest evening out in the city if you're travelling in by train.
What's on at the Royal Albert Dock
The historic warehouses at the Royal Albert Dock are partway through a major structural renovation, so some of the dock's usual exhibition spaces are closed this summer. The dock itself stays open, and the restaurants, shops and waterfront walks carry on as normal.
While the work continues, Tate Liverpool has moved its public programme to the RIBA North gallery at Mann Island, the black-glass building on the waterfront between the Pier Head and the dock. Throughout July the gallery hosts collaborative exhibitions of contemporary painting, architectural models and maritime design archives. Open daily 10:00 to 17:00, free entry, with an on-site cafe overlooking the canal basin.
Food and drink in the Baltic Triangle
The Baltic Market on Stanhope Street runs extended summer hours during July and is the easiest weekend meeting point in the area. Inside the Cains Brewery Village, the indoor food hall has stalls from local traders, including Middle Eastern street food from Hafla Hafla, wood-fired pizzas and artisan desserts. Entry is free and the venue is fully covered.
The surrounding streets have several microbreweries, vintage markets and cafes, all walkable from the main hall.
Chavasse Park summer installations
For a central outdoor stop, Liverpool ONE runs its summer leisure installations on Chavasse Park throughout July, with temporary food huts, public seating and play areas for children. The park sits on an elevated deck and catches the wind off the river, and the covered arcades next to it are the quickest shelter if the weather turns.
Free things this July
- Liverpool Art Fair: free entry daily at the Royal Liver Building
- Tate Liverpool at RIBA North: free entry daily, Mann Island
- Chavasse Park: free seating and children's play areas all month
- Baltic Market: free entry, pay for what you eat
Earlier in July
These events have already happened, but most are annual or monthly, so they're worth knowing about for next time.
Brazilica Festival carnival parade (11 July)
The annual Brazilica Festival returned to the city streets on Saturday 11 July. The night-time carnival parade set off at 20:00 from Abercromby Square, routed through the Georgian Quarter down Hope Street and Hardman Street, and finished near the Metropolitan Cathedral, with samba bands, dancers and street performers from across the UK. Several bars in the Ropewalks and Baltic Triangle hosted after-parties. If you're planning ahead for next year, the wide pavements by the Philharmonic Dining Rooms on Hope Street are the best viewing spot.
Outdoor Shakespeare at Calderstones Park (17 and 18 July)
The Lord Chamberlain's Men performed their annual open-air production at the Calderstones Park Garden Theatre on 17 and 18 July, in full Elizabethan costume, in partnership with The Reader at the park's Mansion House. It returns each summer: bring a rug or low-backed chair, and the Mansion House cafe stays open during the interval. Calderstones is a 15-minute walk from Mossley Hill station, or take the 86A bus from Liverpool ONE Bus Station.
Courtyard comedy at Heebie Jeebies (1 July)
The monthly outdoor stand-up night ran in the courtyard of Heebie Jeebies at 80–82 Seel Street (L1 4BH), mixing North West touring comics with local open-mic performers. It runs monthly, so check their listings for the August date. Doors 19:00, performances from 20:00; arrive early for a table near the stage.
R&B Terrace at the Invisible Wind Factory (3 July)
The Invisible Wind Factory at 3 Burlington Street (L3 6DG) opened its summer terrace season on 3 July with classic R&B and soul sets. The terrace season continues through the summer, with tickets in advance via Skiddle. The terrace sits in the Ten Streets area and runs cooler than the city centre, and the main warehouse hall is the wet-weather backup. It's a 15-minute walk from Sandhills station on the Northern Line.
Vasily Petrenko at the Philharmonic Hall (9 July)
Conductor Vasily Petrenko returned to the Philharmonic Hall on Thursday 9 July for a programme of romantic classics. If you missed it, the summer concert series above runs 23 to 26 July at the same venue.
What to check next
If you're only doing one thing before the month ends, I'd make it the Liverpool Art Fair: free, daily, and inside one of the city's best buildings. If you're coming from the Wirral side, our Mersey ferry guide covers times and fares for the Pier Head crossing. For a live list of what's running right now, see our what's on page. The August edition of this guide will be published at the end of the month.
