Liverpool is gearing up for the launch of its very first Music Month, which begins this Friday, 1 May. 

Delivered by Culture Liverpool and Sound City, the inaugural Liverpool Music Month will run throughout May and feature live performances, cultural events, and community activities across the city region, before transitioning into Liverpool Summer of Music, which will run until September.

This unique celebration of live music spotlights the artists, venues and communities that have made Liverpool a UNESCO City of Music. 

The programme is twinned with New York Music Month, an established fixture in New York City’s cultural calendar, which will feature 60-plus events when it returns for its 9th year this June.

A Transatlantic Partnership

Ahead of the official start of Liverpool Music Month, a special event will take place on Liverpool’s iconic Snowdrop ferry on Thursday 30 April. 

‘Live on the Mersey’ will feature an acoustic performance from Merseybeat troubadours Keyside, alongside sets from some of Liverpool City Region’s most exciting new artists, all set against the backdrop of the city’s world-famous skyline.

Liverpool Music Month will then officially begin on Friday, 1 May at Sound City Plus conference, when Shira Gans, Senior Executive Director for Policy and Programmes at New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and founder of New York Music Month, will hand over the baton from New York. 

This creates a transatlantic partnership between two of the world’s great music cities.

Shira Gans said:

“I’m thrilled to be in Liverpool this week to celebrate our shared spirit of creativity and the enduring friendship between our cities, and of course, to mark the start of its first ever Music Month by handing over the baton from New York City. 

“The idea for Liverpool Music Month was born during conversations when Mayor Steve Rotheram and a delegation of Liverpool City Region cultural leaders visited us in New York back in 2024, and it’s fantastic to be here to see it come to fruition. 

“The ties between Liverpool and New York run deep: both have rich musical histories that continue to inspire generations.”

A Diverse Programme of Live Performance

The rest of the month will see a huge range of gigs, new commissions, pop-up performances, and community-led events take place throughout the region, celebrating the full spectrum of Liverpool’s music scene from grassroots to global. 

Kicking off the programme, Sound City Festival will bring both homegrown and international talent to wider prominence over the weekend of Saturday 2 to Sunday 3 May 2026.

The Dark Reign Metal Fest also takes place at Birkenhead’s Future Yard on Saturday 2 May, and performances by Emmy Lou Harris, The Longest Johns, Kingfishr, Biird, Sunny Afternoon, James Morrison, and Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox are among those being spotlighted. 

At the Liverpool Philharmonic, gigs across all genres will take place on most days, including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s Celebration of the Beach Boys, Roland Gift Presents Fine Young Cannibals, Max Cooper, and US acts Hannah Wicklund and Ondara. 

Merseyside pop superstar Melanie C will also be headlining a series of performances at Jacaranda Baltic on May 1.

Becky Ayres, Sound City’s Managing Director, said:

“We’re extremely proud to be part of delivering the first-ever Liverpool Music Month. 

“Twinning with New York Music Month, another globally recognised music city, is notable, not only for deepening Liverpool and the UK’s links to progressive, arts-focused cities around the world, but also reinforcing the city’s international outlook. 

“As a UNESCO City of Music, the world continues to look to us to protect our musical heritage as well as promote new talent. 

“From the first rock and roll vinyl record arriving at the docks in the 1950s to the huge shows performed here by international artists such as Foo Fighters, the shared love of music extends across the Atlantic as effortlessly as it has always done.”

Transitioning into a Summer of Music

As the month draws to a close, focus will shift to Liverpool Summer of Music, a city-region-wide celebration taking place from June through to August. 

This programme will highlight influential independent venues such as 24 Kitchen Street and The Jacaranda, alongside major city events including Foo Fighters and My Chemical Romance’s huge Anfield Stadium shows, Lewis Capaldi taking over Sefton Park, and Nile Rodgers & Chic performing at Lock and Quay in Bootle.

During this period, local venues and artists have been invited to deliver their own events with support from a dedicated commissioning fund provided by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. 

Wrapping up the initial month, Baltic Weekender is set to take over multiple venues across Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 May, including Camp and Furnace and Brick Street, with a line-up of house music, disco, techno, bass, and grime sets.

Councillor Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, added:

“As we approach the start of our very first Liverpool Music Month, we’re so excited to bring artists, venues, communities, and visitors together to celebrate our famous music scene in true Liverpool style. 

“We’re honoured to be taking the baton from New York City and following in the footsteps of its incredibly successful music month. 

“Our city is alive with music on any given day of the week, but this month, and this summer, promises to be an even bigger showcase of everything that makes Liverpool one of the greatest music cities in the world.”

Liverpool Music Month and Liverpool Summer of Music are set to build on the global momentum created when the city hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023. 

Together, these events invite music lovers to experience the best live music the region has to offer, reinforcing Liverpool’s reputation while ensuring the benefits of music tourism are felt across the entire city region.

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