What's On in Liverpool & Merseyside This Weekend: 30 October to 1 November 2026

Liverpool v Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday, Everton Women at Goodison on Saturday, River of Light's final scheduled nights, a free Halloween party in Liverpool ONE and fireworks in Birkenhead. Here is the weekend plan for Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, including Southport, New Brighton and Port Sunlight.

The dates are Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. Times are UK local time (GMT). Prices are advance or advertised prices unless otherwise stated, and can change at booking. Details were checked on 27 October. Outdoor events are weather-dependent, so check the linked organiser before leaving.

The weekend at a glance

Liverpool football: men's, women's and local fixtures

Liverpool v Arsenal: Sunday at Anfield

Liverpool host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday 1 November at 4.30pm. The match is live on Sky Sports and is the main football fixture in the city this weekend. The date and kick-off were confirmed by Liverpool FC. Tickets should be sought through the club's official match information, not unverified resale listings.

Supporters travelling from Southport, Ormskirk or Headbolt Lane on Sunday should go as far as Sandhills, where Merseyrail advises connecting to the Soccerbus. There will be no Northern Line train service to Liverpool Central on Sunday because of the works. The changes also affect supporters coming from the Wirral.

Everton Women v Manchester United Women: Saturday at Goodison

Everton Women welcome Manchester United Women to Goodison Park on Saturday 31 October at 12.45pm. The club is turning matchday into a Halloween event, with face painting, arts and crafts, costume prizes, music and a half-time dance display.

Everton FC advertises £12 adult tickets and £6 concessions. This is an alternative to a dedicated Halloween attraction if the family also wants a football match. It is a Women's Super League fixture and is listed for broadcast on Sky Sports.

Everton's men's team do not play on Saturday or Sunday. Their next Premier League fixture is away to Newcastle United on Monday 2 November at 8pm, according to the Premier League schedule.

Tranmere and Southport at home on Saturday

Tranmere Rovers are scheduled to host Cheltenham Town at Prenton Park on Saturday at 3pm, a League Two fixture. The Tranmere club website is the place to check late team and ticket updates.

Across Sefton, Southport FC host AFC Telford United at Haig Avenue, also at 3pm on Saturday. The club's match preview says tickets are available online until kick-off, with cash and card accepted on the day. The match follows the cancellation of Southport's midweek game against Macclesfield after storm damage.

Elsewhere: Liverpool Women are away to West Ham Women on Sunday at 2pm, according to the Women's Super League fixture list.

River of Light: final three scheduled nights, free

River of Light is due to run for the final time this year on Friday 30, Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November, with installations lit 5pm–9pm. The free, self-guided event has 13 artworks spread across the waterfront and city centre, including Williamson Square, St Paul's Square, Liverpool ONE and the docks.

There is also a quiet hour on Sunday from 4pm to 5pm, intended as a calmer way to visit. Liverpool ONE's official information confirms the dates, times and quiet hour.

The festival was cancelled on 23, 24 and 25 October during the storm, before returning on Monday 26 October. That makes checking the latest VisitLiverpool update particularly sensible if winds strengthen again. It is free, with no tickets or registration required.

For every artwork, the route and road closures, read L1Local's River of Light 2026 guide.

Halloween for families in Liverpool

Liverpool ONE's free Halloween Party: Saturday, 11am–4pm

Liverpool ONE's Halloween Party on Saturday 31 October has street performers, characters, face painting, zombie dancing and drumming workshops. The event runs 11am–4pm and costs nothing to enter.

Children can enter the fancy-dress competition on South John Street from noon until 3pm, with a £200 Liverpool ONE gift card for first prize, followed by £100 and £50 for second and third place. Competition entry closes at 3pm, even though the main event continues to 4pm. Full details and conditions are on Culture Liverpool's event page.

The Beatles Story crafts, museums and family theatre

For a quieter daytime plan, The Beatles Story Discovery Zone has advertised free Halloween-themed Beatles crafts throughout half-term, 10am–3pm, up to Sunday 1 November. See the venue's official site for entry and Discovery Zone arrangements.

The World Museum, Walker Art Gallery and Museum of Liverpool offer free general admission. The Museum of Liverpool also has separately booked Little Liverpool sessions for younger children. L1Local's half-term family planner has the specific activity and museum options, including the remaining Spooky Sudley dates on Friday and Saturday.

At the Playhouse, Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and the Really Big Adventure has its final scheduled shows on Saturday, with performances at 11am and 2pm. The theatre advertises £14 tickets and recommends it primarily for ages three to ten. The show includes haze and a brief dragon roar. Check the Everyman & Playhouse ticket listing for seats.

BOXPARK Family Feastival: Sunday, noon–4pm

Some ticket links in this guide are affiliate links. If you book through them, L1Local may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Event inclusion and descriptions are editorially independent.

BOXPARK in the Baltic Triangle has a Halloween Family Feastival on Sunday 1 November, noon–4pm, with a children's entertainer, free face painting, arts and crafts, a 1pm Halloween quiz and family food deals. The booking page lists free children's craft tickets, plus optional meal vouchers from £6.50 plus booking fee for a children's meal, or £16.50 plus booking fee for an adult-and-child package. Reserve craft places rather than assuming unlimited walk-in space.

Liverpool gigs, theatre, sport and Halloween nightlife

Friday 30 October

Liverpool Basketball v Cheshire Phoenix: 7.30pm at M&S Bank Arena. This is part of Liverpool Basketball's inaugural Super League Basketball season. Book through the club's official schedule, which confirms the tip-off.

Mean Girls: The musical is at Liverpool Empire at 7.30pm on Friday. The ATG calendar currently advertises seats from £15, with prices dependent on the performance. Age guidance is 10+; strobe effects are used. See the Liverpool Empire booking page.

Everyman Murder Mystery: Halloween Special: an interactive comedy mystery at 7.30pm on Friday (also Saturday), Downstairs at the Everyman. £42 includes pie and mash, the running time is around two and a half hours and it is suitable for ages 12+. The theatre also lists a separate midday afternoon-tea version, but Saturday's afternoon-tea performance is shown as sold out. Book the evening mystery.

Bingo Lingo: Halloween House of Horrors: 6.30pm–11pm at Camp and Furnace, Greenland Street. This adults-only Halloween event has stage games, bingo and a costume competition. Last entry 7.30pm. The Friday Skiddle ticket page currently shows a student ticket at £12 plus £1.45 fee and standard release prices above that; stock can change quickly. 18+.

Saturday 31 October

The Coral: 7pm at O2 Academy Liverpool. The band's Halloween homecoming show is listed by Ticketmaster with limited availability at the time checked. Over-eights may attend, and under-14s must be accompanied by an adult aged over 18. Check Ticketmaster tickets.

Kevin Bridges: 7.30pm at M&S Bank Arena, on the Here If You Need Me tour. The venue still provides a ticket page, but availability can change and the artist's listings have shown sell-out notices. Check Ticketmaster for any official availability.

Mean Girls: final Liverpool Empire performances, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. ATG has advertised tickets from £15 for Saturday when checked; book via the official venue.

Halloween in Concert: The Auditorium at M&S Bank Arena has a Saturday Halloween-themed live concert with spooky music and visuals. Confirm the current start time and price through the arena listing, rather than relying on older third-party event calendars.

Bingo Lingo: Halloween House of Horrors: a second 6.30pm session at Camp and Furnace. Skiddle's own brand page has shown Saturday as a waiting-list event, so check its ticket status before planning around it.

Haunted Warehouse Takeover: a separate 10pm–3am, 18+ Halloween club event at Camp and Furnace, with last entry 1am. Tickets and rules on Skiddle. Organisers prohibit realistic weapons and various sharp costume props, so read the restrictions before dressing up.

Hilife's Halloween Takeover: 7pm–2am at Zenn Liverpool on Victoria Street, 18+, with 10.30pm last entry. Event details on Skiddle.

Sunday 1 November

Liverpool Basketball v Manchester Basketball: 4pm tip-off at M&S Bank Arena, according to Liverpool Basketball's home fixture list. This overlaps with the start of Liverpool v Arsenal at Anfield, so these are alternative afternoon plans.

Radio GaGa: Queen tribute show at The Auditorium on Sunday evening. Check M&S Bank Arena's listing for current doors, seats and tickets.

Newsham Scream Park: the organiser's Skiddle listing advertises sessions through the Halloween period, with four live-actor scare mazes inside the former Newsham Park Hospital complex on Orphan Drive. Its displayed date ranges have not been entirely consistent across ticket instances, so check your exact Friday, Saturday or Sunday slot at booking rather than assuming any given session is available. This is an intense scare attraction, not a substitute for the child-friendly activities above.

Sefton: Southport, Waterloo and the coast

Southport's SMEC Ghost Train: Friday and Saturday, 4pm–8pm

Southport Model Engineering Club is running a family-focused Halloween train on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October, from 4pm to 8pm each evening at Rotten Row beside Victoria Park (PR8 2DA).

A ride lasts roughly six to eight minutes and uses a live-steam or battery-electric locomotive. There are friendly characters, gentle lighting and atmospheric effects. The club says there are no sudden loud noises or jump scares, although moderate smoke effects may be used. Neuro-inclusive sessions run 4pm–5.30pm.

Tickets are £8, or £5 for under-threes or children under 90cm. Children under 1.2 metres must ride with an adult. Read the accessibility notes and book on the organiser's site.

Books Alive! and Southport Market

Books Alive! Festival of Stories takes place at The Atkinson on Friday 30 October, with a morning start at 10am. Authors, illustrators, storytelling and creative workshops form part of the programme. The events are free, but places must be booked in advance. The linked Atkinson programme lists sessions, and Southport's Jolly Postman themed town-centre trail continues to Saturday 31 October.

Southport Market has a series of themed parties across Friday and Saturday, suitable for different age groups. The confirmed Southport Market schedule is:

These are booked sessions, not a free market-wide event. Read the individual descriptions before buying: some feature loud music, performers or face glitter.

Ian Prowse & Amsterdam play The Atkinson at 7.30pm on Saturday, celebrating the album No Names as part of their autumn tour. The venue advertises £21 tickets plus a £1.50 booking fee online or by phone. Atkinson tickets.

For a film rather than a party, Plaza Community Cinema in Waterloo has advertised a Ghostbusters Halloween screening on Saturday evening. Confirm the current screening and ticket availability on the Plaza's programme before travelling. The cinema is a community venue rather than a large multiplex.

Wirral: Birkenhead, New Brighton and Port Sunlight

Birkenhead Park FC fireworks: Sunday, 4pm–9pm

The Birkenhead Park FC Fireworks Extravaganza takes place at Upper Park, CH41 8AA, on Sunday 1 November, with gates open from 4pm to 9pm. The club confirms children's entertainment, food and refreshments, but has not published an exact fireworks firing time in the notice checked.

Advance tickets cost £10 adults, £5 children aged 3–16, £25 for two adults and two children, with under-threes free. Gate tickets are listed as £12 adults and £7 children. Organiser information and ticket links. This is not the free Central Park, Wallasey display advertised for Bonfire Night on Thursday 5 November; it is a separate, paid Sunday event.

Port Sunlight after dark

The Port Sunlight Spook-tacular Tour leaves Port Sunlight Museum at 6.30pm on Saturday 31 October and runs until 8pm. It is a 90-minute guided walk around village ghost stories and local history, recommended for ages 12+.

The Village Trust advertises £15 adults, £10 concessions and £6 children. Free parking is available opposite the museum, and the event listing warns of uneven surfaces and a continuous walking pace. Check the Wirral Line rail-replacement arrangements if travelling from Liverpool. Official tour and accessibility details.

For younger children, the Village Trust also runs Little Werewolves of Sunlight on Friday 30 October. This is a craft-based activity; check Port Sunlight's activity and ticket listings for the available session before travelling.

Future Yard, New Brighton and Brimstage Farm

Future Yard in Birkenhead has an indie-rock all-dayer, Breakthrough Festival, on Saturday 31 October. Doors open 2pm, with £15 advance tickets plus fees, and under-16s must attend with an adult. The official line-up and ticket page lists Sunbeam, The Ariston, Short Notice, Weave and more.

On Sunday 1 November, the venue switches to Mosh Tots: Halloween Haunt for children aged 0–8. Doors open at 11am, with £14 tickets for ages 1–8, £7 for under-ones and one grown-up included with each child's ticket. The venue has buggy parking, baby-changing and accessible facilities. Book Mosh Tots.

Brimstage Farm's Grimstage is scheduled through Sunday 1 November, with a family Halloween attraction including themed mazes and interactive characters. Visit Wirral confirms the period. Check the farm's official ticket information for the current sessions and admission charges.

At Floral Pavilion in New Brighton, the half-term theatre programme includes family shows and live entertainment. See the venue programme for Friday or Saturday availability rather than relying on old listings that may refer to earlier half-term dates.

Free events and lower-cost choices

There are different age restrictions and accessibility arrangements across these events. Free entry does not always mean no booking is required, especially for workshop places and the BOXPARK arts-and-crafts tickets.

Travel and disruption: Friday to Sunday

Merseyrail engineering works run until Friday 6 November. The Northern Line is closed between Hunts Cross and Liverpool Central during the works, with replacement buses between Hunts Cross and Moorfields on Friday and Saturday. Trains from Southport, Ormskirk and Headbolt Lane continue to Liverpool Central on those two days, with amended schedules.

Sunday 1 November is substantially different. Northern Line trains from Southport, Ormskirk and Headbolt Lane run only as far as Sandhills, with buses between Hunts Cross and Sandhills. On the Wirral Line, trains finish at Birkenhead North or Rock Ferry, with replacement buses running to Moorfields. There are no Wirral Line trains through the Mersey tunnels into Liverpool city centre on Sunday.

For Liverpool v Arsenal, Merseyrail's specific advice is to arrive at Sandhills and use the Soccerbus to Anfield. Allow extra time, particularly if crossing the river or travelling from south Liverpool. Details and stop maps are on Merseyrail's official engineering-work page and in L1Local's closure explainer.

River of Light evenings can also bring temporary road closures around Water Street and nearby streets. See L1Local's Water Street guide for the affected roads, and check the latest festival status for weather-related changes.

What to book and what can be done without a ticket

The easiest free Saturday afternoon is Liverpool ONE's Halloween Party, followed by River of Light after 5pm if weather allows. The festival is also a practical Sunday-evening option after football or basketball, but remember the rail closures on the journey home.

For children who dislike jump scares, Southport's SMEC Ghost Train publishes unusually detailed sensory information. For older children and adults, Port Sunlight's guided tour is recommended from age 12, the Everyman murder mystery is 12+, and adult club events on Skiddle are normally 18+.

If going to Birkenhead fireworks on Sunday, book the appropriate adult, child or family ticket in advance to avoid the higher gate prices. The precise fireworks launch time has not been confirmed, so do not arrive late expecting a specific start.

Ticket stock and outdoor-event status can change between this check on 27 October and the weekend. Follow the organiser links above on the day, particularly for River of Light, rail replacement buses and Halloween events operating outdoors.