Event schedule

Click here to open a .jpg of our event schedules. For exhibitions, please see our listings.

We’re very proud of our 2023 Festival, centred ont he theme of anniversary. It includes our usual Launch and Cultural Connectedness Day (Thurs 19 Oct), Family Day (Sat 21 Oct), a writing day (Sun 22 Oct) and a Samhain Céilí (Sun 29 Oct), as well as walking tours, talks, performances and gigs. We hope you will join us and enjoy what we have on offer.

We’re sad to say we’re not able to run boat tours this year. The Pride of Sefton has had engineering faults, meaning we couldn’t programme events with them. We sincerely hope they can return next year and wish them well with their rebuild.

Look out for #LIF2023 hashtags and follow us on @LivIrishFest on social media.

Accessing tickets

Where we stipulate that ‘booking is required’ you can access ticket sites via the Festival’s website and clicking ‘Events’, or liverpoolirishfestival.com/events.

Please note we work in numerous venues so booking links may take you to venue websites or Eventbrite booking pages. This is normal.

Search our event pages for the event you’re looking for and the booking link button will take you to the official ticket vendor. Events are listed chronologically. This is the address we refer to when stating: ‘book online’: liverpoolirishfestival.com/events.

All events are in 2023, unless otherwise stated.

Bursary tickets

The Festival is aware ticket prices can prevent people from attending. We’ve done as much as we can to keep all costs to a minimum. However, if you would be unable to attend, on the basis of cost, you can request a bursary (free) place. Your enquiry should be marked ‘Bursary request’ (or similar) and addressed to [email protected] Your request will be treated with absolute confidentiality. Where it’s possible for us to provide you with a free ticket (based on lead-time and availability) you’ll be notified how you can redeem it.

This is an honour system, designed to help those who need it most. We ask that people are respectful of this. Your support in ticket buying assists us to deliver a generous Festival, with reduced barriers to access.

Strands of work to look out for

The #LIF2023 programme crosses artistic disciplines, from niche to popular. Throughout the Festival we’re making links to anniversary, whether through daily rituals or centenary commemorations. We hope you’ll find something to please and surprise, entertain and challenge you; whether via music, family activities, theatre or discussion.

To identify work strands, use these symbols: ♀️❤️📍🔱

♀️ In:Visible Women and women’s work ♀️
❤️Family ❤️
📍 Nook and Cranny Spaces 📍
🔱 Irish Famine Trail, identity and heritage 🔱

Regional and national travel, accommodation and green agendas

We encourage anyone attending from outside the region to use the greenest methods of travel, such as rail and coach services. Tickets from all train providers can be obtained from thetrainline.com. When finding accommodation in Liverpool, please look for those that have carbon neutral policies or environmentally friendly intention statements. Having undertaken Carbon Literacy Training in 2021 -and joined Shift (Liverpool’s climate emergency response network)-the Festival has a duty to try and effect positive climate change. We welcome your support.

Public transport and venue information

Below we’ve provided travel information to each of our venues. Visit Merseytravel for local bus and train times and routes www.merseytravel.gov.uk. Bus route information is based on arriving at venues from Liverpool Lime Street Station (L1 1JD). Walking times use the estimated journey times provided by Google Maps (walking from Liverpool Lime Street).

For those who can, and are confident enough, we recommend electric vehicles to cut down carbon emissions. For details on Liverpool’s CityBike (pay as you ride) hire scheme visit: citybikeliverpool.co.uk Liverpool also has an electric scooter hire scheme. You must be 18 to ride and have a driving licence. Please check the scooter hire map to ensure they’ll work through to your chose destination as there are city parameters to consider, as well as their power range. More here: voiscooters.com/how-to-voi

What three words

What Three Words is a locational reference that simplifies GPS coordinates in to a three-word code, representing 3m² of the earth’s surface. We have tried to provide this for the entrance to each of our venues. You can use What Three Words in conjunction with Apple Maps, Google Maps and Compass.

Traffic in Liverpool, roadworks and the green agenda

At the time of writing, Liverpool centre is awash with road improvement works, making it difficult to provide consistent road and traffic management information. A key recommendation from the Festival is to use public transport, where and whenever possible. If 10% of Festival visitors used public transport instead of cars, collectively we’ll save 3.28 tonnes in CO₂ emissions from entering the world! Imagine, if 100% went for public transport we could save 32.8 tonnes in carbon emissions; the same as the weight of 18 average cars!

Real life eventing and Covid-19

At the time of writing, compulsory Covid-19 mask-wearing and social distancing has ceased. However, if we have learned anything since 2020 it is how quickly things can change. The Festival’s events will be subject to whatever government regulations are placed on venues, according to their scale and ventilation capabilities. Please ensure you are able and willing to comply to the prevailing guidance. We will do our best to proceed with events, subject to regulations. Liverpool Irish Festival works in partnership with our venues. We’ll work with them to employ what they believe to be best practice for their spaces. We hope you will appreciate the efforts made to keep you safe and help us by following on-site requests.