Liverpool Biennial 2025 – BEDROCK

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor

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Liverpool Biennial 2025

7 June-14 September 2025

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Katarzyna Perlak, Broken Hearts Hotel, 2021. Photography by Hicham Gardaf
Katarzyna Perlak, Broken Hearts Hotel, 2021. Photography by Hicham Gardaf.
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One of the most exciting events in the North’s art calendar is back, as Liverpool Biennial transforms galleries and off-piste spaces with a brand new theme and a whole host of fantastic artists. 

Curated by Marie-Anne McQuay, the theme for the 13th edition of Liverpool Biennial is ‘BEDROCK’. While the previous festival highlighted ancestral wisdom from around the world, this year it focuses on themes closer to home. Liverpool’s distinctive geography takes centre stage and acts as a starting point for many of the works: in literal terms, this refers to the sandstone which spans the city region and is present in a lot of the local architecture. 

A grid of pink and cream waves laid on top of an orange gradient background. The text beneath the grid reads 'BEDROCK' alongside the LB2025 dates
LB2025 Visual Identity by Salt And Sister Studio.

Taking place over 14 weeks, you’ll find art in traditional venues like the Walker Art Gallery and FACT as well as more unexpected locations like the SEVENSTORE designer clothing store in the Baltic, Princes Dock and even a pharmacy(!). As you’re walking between the venues, don’t forget to look down too, to find some not-so-hidden treasures by Kara Chin, embedded into the pavement.

The festival features 30 artists and collectives from around the world, including Mounira Al Solh, Katarzyna Perlak and Sheila Hicks.

It’s always good to try to see as many different exhibitions as you can manage because the Biennial is the perfect place to discover new artists and stumble upon something you’d never usually see.

Isabel Nolan, The wolf who made a city tremble c.1216 (After Sassetta), 2023. Image courtesy the artist and Kerlin Gallery. Photography Lee Welch
Isabel Nolan, The wolf who made a city tremble c.1216 (After Sassetta), 2023. Image courtesy the artist and Kerlin Gallery. Photography Lee Welch

There are, of course, some instant highlights too: iconic textile artist Sheila Hicks’ work at Tate Liverpool x RIBA North; Isabel Nolan’s large-scale pieces that explode with colour in any medium they appear in; and the delicate works of Maria Loizidou in the glorious setting of the Anglican Cathedral

The UK’s oldest art festival promises captivating art experiences, making Liverpool the ultimate destination this summer. Don’t miss it.

Maria Loizidou, Moi Balbuzard Migrant, 2023, Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris 2023-24. Photography by Maria Lund.(3)
Maria Loizidou, Moi Balbuzard Migrant, 2023, Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris 2023-24. Photography by Maria Lund.

If you’re looking for a place to stay to really make the most out of your visit to Liverpool, check out our guide to hotels and hostels in the city.

Please note: all exhibitions are open Wednesday to Saturday, with public artworks open and accessible throughout the festival. Please check individual exhibition pages for specific opening times as some venues are open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Sundays. Keep an eye on the website too for information and booking details for workshops, talks and other events.

Where to go near Liverpool Biennial 2025 – BEDROCK

Chinatown
Restaurant
Pho Cue

Family-run Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown. Prepare to queue for Pho Cue.

Come to Swithens Farm for a great family day out in Leeds. Our farm has plenty to offer whatever age you are!Swithens Farm is a working farm. For many years now Ian and his wife Angela have built a following that they welcome in all year around. We now have a farm shop, café, playbarn and petting farm. When we first opened we only had the usual farm animals – cows, pigs, sheep, chickens and it was free entry. We now have llamas, alpacas, meerkats, rabbits, guinea pigs, donkeys and a pony.On the working farm, we breed our own cows, pigs and sheep and we sell the meat through the farm shop and the café. If you buy a sausage sandwich from the café the sausage will be from the butcher who has made the sausage by hand using our own pork. We also produce our own free-range eggs.
Leeds
Swithens Farm

Swithens Farm is a working farm. For many years now Ian and his wife Angela have built a following that they welcome in all year around.

Peak District
Restaurant
The Chequers Inn

The Chequers Inn is a 16th century, family-run, traditional country inn with an impressive dining space. The Peak District at its best.

Testbed Main Space
Leeds
Event venue
TESTBED

TESTBED is a newly renovated 10,000 sq foot event venue in Leeds that offers endless possibilities for creating unique and inspiring experiences.

Manchester
Restaurant
Salt & Pepper

Chinese inspired British food in the centre of Manchester, backed up by plenty of well-deserved local hype.

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

The Warehouse In Holbeck
Leeds
Event venue
The Warehouse In Holbeck

Run by acclaimed theatre company Slung Low, The Warehouse in Holbeck is home to boundary-pushing performance and community projects.

Leeds
Event venue
The Attic

Tucked away above the bustle of Merrion Street, The Attic is one of Leeds’ most distinctive small venues – intimate, unpretentious, and steeped in DIY spirit.

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