Splashdown at the dock, Jimmy's live and a '90s rave - your days and nights out this month
Bars, restaurants and boozers are booming. Museums, art galleries and theatres have flung open their doors. We've only bloody well gone and got the nice weather back again too.
June is already shaping up very nicely and that's even before the big day that we dare not mention. (It's 21 June - Ed)
It's all PMA from here in and this month throws up a cavalcade of both indoor and outdoor events, including an aqua park, live gigs, the summer arts market and a Southport rave.
Will we be dancing into July? Are you asking? See you down the front.
SUMMER ARTS MARKET | Liverpool Cathedral | Saturday 5 June / Saturday 19 June
The arts market returns with 55 sellers offering creative crafts, gorgeous gifts, contemporary design and artisanal foods. Pick up some cool stuff and tick off a visit to the captivating Peace Doves installation while you’re there. The cathedral's Welsford Cafe is open all day, so you can also stop off for coffee and cake. Amen to that.
Liverpool Cathedral, St James Mount, Liverpool L1 7AZ (10am - 4pm; tickets £4.99 from Eventbrite.)
WILD SHORE | Royal Albert Dock | Open now for summer
Goodbye, Adventure Dock. Hello, Wild Shore. Liverpool's favourite aqua park is back at Royal Albert Dock with a mighty splash and a new name. The wet, wild and very bouncy attraction offers an inflatable water obstacle course complete with huge free-fall slides, trampolines, stand up paddle boarding, pedalos and much more. It’s the perfect place for a family-day out or a party with your mates, and all the kit is provided. Pack swimwear, a towel and sunnies.
Dukes Dock, Liverpool L3 4AD (Tickets from £16pp at Wild Shore.)
BUILD A ROCKET | Liverpool Everyman Theatre | 11 - 12 June
Six aspiring young directors have the privilege of reopening the Everyman Theatre’s main stage to live audiences, as part of the Young Everyman Playhouse Directors’ Festival 2021. Closing the festival from 11 - 12 June is Build a Rocket, a show about a young woman who, despite her circumstances, realises her potential and begins to use it. Build a Rocket is a story of triumph over adversity, daring to dream and pushing doors down.
Everyman Theatre, 5-11 Hope St, Liverpool L1 9BH (Tickets free from EverymanPlayhouse.com)
FRANKIE SAY 1984! | British Music Experience | Until January 2022
No band has ever dominated a year like Frankie Goes to Hollywood in 1984. Born out of Liverpool’s post-punk scene with a brash, mischievous attitude - Frankie was a one-off. We know a reunion will never be on the cards, but this new temporary exhibition boasts a colourful collection of outfits, instruments, memorabilia and merch. Frankie Say Go!
The British Music Experience, Cunard Building, Liverpool L3 1DS (Adult tickets priced £16, concessions available, from British Music Experience)
BOBHOWLA | Jimmy’s Liverpool | Saturday 26 June
Jimmy’s were inundated with gig requests after launching their free venue hire initiative and from 21 June (*praying*) the venue will host live music seven days a week. First band up is Bobhowla and an album launch for their debut record, Everything’s Wrong, But It’s Alright. The band has drawn comparisons from an eclectic mix including Depeche Mode, Roddy Frame and Tears For Fears. Something to shout about? There’s only one way to find out.
Jimmy’s, 130 Bold Street, Liverpool L1 4JA (7.30pm; tickets £7.50 from Jimmy’s)
THE BLUE VIOLET RIVER | Mersey Ferries | Thursday 24 June - Sunday 27 June
Exploring the post-industrial landscapes of the Manchester Ship Canal and River Mersey, Abandon Normal Devices (AND) Festival includes five new commissions this year. Anita Fontaine’s Blue Violet River invites you to board the Mersey Ferry and suspend belief for an encounter with a kaleidoscopic world through custom-built viewfinders on the decks. AND Festival is well-known for its experimental approach to art and this piece will certainly be making waves.
Mersey Ferries, Pier Head, Liverpool L3 1DP (Cruises sail between 10am - 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am - 5pm Saturday and Sunday. Book your tickets with MerseyFerries.co.uk)
DON McCULLIN | Tate Liverpool | Extended until 5 September
This retrospective of the legendary British photographer showcases some of the most impactful images captured over the last 60 years. It includes many of his iconic war photographs - including images from Vietnam, Northern Ireland and more recently Syria - as well as more than 200 photographs of Liverpool.
Tate Liverpool, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4BB (Tickets £13, concessions available, from Tate.org.uk)
SOUNDS IN THE PARK | Calderstones Mansion House | Sunday 20 June
The Garden Theatre stage will burst into life this summer as The Reader presents Sounds in the Park, a series of open-air concerts in collaboration with Early Music as Education. Headlining the first event on 20 June is The Early Music Youth Orchestra performing Stabat Mater by Emanuele Rincón d’Astorga. You'll need to bring your own blanket or chair, but food is available to order while you watch the show. Picnic perfect.
Calderstones Mansion House, Calderstones Rd, Liverpool L18 3JB (3pm; tickets cost £10/£6 from TheReader.org.uk
SAVE THE RAVE | Victoria Park, Southport | Saturday 26 June
Dig out your whistles, smiley t-shirts and neon gloves - it’s time to party like the ‘90s. Livin’ Joy, Baby D, Angie Brown, Ultrabeat, Shades of Rhythm and N-Trance headline this full day open air party in Victoria Park, complete with street food stalls, pop-up prosecco bars, stage performers and huge visuals. Expect plenty of “big box, little box, cardboard box” and other ridiculous dance moves.
Victoria Park, 31 Rotten Row, Southport PR8 1RX (12:00 - 22:00; tickets available from £52.50 at Skiddle.)
PHYSICAL FEST | Various venues | 25 June - 2 July
The UK's only international physical theatre festival returns to Liverpool for an extravaganza of live and online performance, conversation and workshops. Brought to you by the city's own Tmesis Theatre, highlights include Lucy Hopkins with her hilarious Ceremony of Golden Truth, as well as circus and dance artists, Joli Vyann, performing an outdoor piece. The recently restored Albert Walker Hall in Bootle will take centre stage as the venue for Memoria, a poetic, visceral exploration of memory and nostalgia. Other venues for the 8-day long festival include the Unity Theatre, Toxteth TV and the Metropolitan Cathedral.
Various venues (Tickets and full programme available from TmesisTheatre.com)
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