When it comes to music venues, there’s more to Liverpool than the Cavern Club. And while that famous Mathew Street basement hangout of the Beatles has a firm place in pop music’s history (albeit in its reconstructed form these days), it’s the city’s cafes, bars, warehouses and even converted taxi garages that are driving Liverpool’s music scene towards the future. Discover the hottest spots below.
The Invisible Wind Factory is a 1500-capacity converted warehouse whose gravitational pull for excellent touring artists grows stronger each year. It also acts as creative playground for multidisciplinary collaborations and experimental projects — the kind of one-night-only affairs that the culturally curious people of Liverpool (and beyond) buzz off.
A former taxi garage, Meraki is one of Liverpool’s most exciting young venues, playing host to both wild club nights and cutting edge gigs. It’s a 300-capacity, Berlin-style space, complete with a plant-filled oasis around the back. Expect leftfield gigs here, and all genres, from post punk to hip hop.
This cavernous three-room complex in the Baltic Triangle is part bar-restaurant (boasting its own beer) and part flexible event space – meaning it can host a film shoot one day and the likes of Mogwai, Martha Wainwright, or John Cooper Clarke the next.
Situated in a 1930s Grade II-listed building on Hope Street, this art deco-style hall seats over 1700 people and hosts both its resident Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra as well as visiting ensembles and popular musicians.
Jimmys is a three-storey venue on Liverpool’s Bold Street, which typically draws in upcoming bands as well as the odd music legend, before rock and roll DJs get behind the decks until the wee hours. The venue also boasts a sun-kissed beer garden, and a more-than-solid food trader in Burgerism.
A mixed-use event space in the Baltic Triangle, 24 Kitchen Street hosts some of the best leftfield club nights and gigs in Liverpool. All bare bricks and exposed wooden rafters, it’s a very cool spot to catch emerging artists and cutting edge electronic music.
The vaguely nautical-themed Shipping Forecast is a great place to catch new bands on the up. Its basement club “the hold” is a sweaty rock ‘n’ roll mainstay for the city, and tickets for gigs there tend to be very reasonably priced.
The creation of 70s punk legend Jayne Casey, District Liverpool is a vibrant multi-purpose venue in the Baltic Triangle that hosts gigs, club nights, film screenings, cabaret, festivals and much more. It’s home to some of the city’s most popular and eclectic club nights, and is a key venue at the likes of Liverpool Sound City.
Above Leaf’s popular ground floor café, its event space boasts mirror balls galore. Musically, expect to catch touring acts on folk end of the spectrum, as well as regular acoustic and DJ nights too, many of which are free entry.
Run by the heads behind Invisible Wind Factory, Kazimier Stockroom is a micro venue with a lot going on, from gigs to screenings to theatre. Fitting no more than 100 people, you’ll always be able to get nice and close to the action!
The Tung Auditorium is Liverpool’s new, state-of-the art performance space seating up to 400 people and hosting a variety of concerts.
A mixed-use event space in the Baltic Triangle, 24 Kitchen Street hosts some of the best leftfield club nights and gigs in Liverpool.
District Liverpool is a multi-purpose venue in the Baltic Quarter, hosting gigs, club nights, films, cabaret, festivals and much more.
Clockworks is a great spot off the beaten track to grab a cosy pint or cocktail, and you’ll often find live music happening outside the front in Wolstenholme Square. It’s worth dropping by just to see Cuban sculptor Jorge Pardo’s Penelope, one of the largest sculptures in the city.
Hinterlands is a multi-purpose venue in Liverpool where events can come to life.
From the team behind the Kazimier, the Invisible Wind Factory is Liverpool’s most eclectic live music venue and nightclub.
Latest addition to The ACC Liverpool Group’s family of world class venues alongside interconnected sister venues BT Convention Centre and the M&S Bank Arena.
O2 Academy Liverpool (formerly the L2 and Carling Academy Liverpool) boasts two performance areas that host live music and clubnights.
The Liverpool Playhouse theatre retains much of its 1911 structure, and has a varied programme of events from a rock’n’roll panto, to live poetry and comedy.
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