southport guide
Photo by Ronald Saunders from flickr

Southport

Creative Tourist

Southport is a large seaside town in the county of Merseyside, which also takes in Formby, West Kirby and Liverpool. Formerly known for genteel ladies of a certain age and crust-less afternoon teas, Southport is subtly and gradually changing from crumbling grandeur and kitsch amusements to an attractive town with a focus on the arts. Take The Atkinson: this determinedly innovative, Grade II-listed arts centre offers a theatre, galleries, museum, deli and an artisan bakery.

There’s also the Waterfront Arts project and excellent architecture, including the wonderful, cathedral-like fernery at the Botanic Gardens and the Belle Epoque colonnades of Lord Street. Legend has it that the graceful boulevards of central Paris were modelled on Southport, after Napoleon spent two years in exile here. Southport does, of course, boast “Britain’s longest overland pier”, a listed structure with its own tramline to carry visitors over a mile between Southport promenade and the pier head.

There’s also Southport Market, a number of good places to eat (if you know where to look) and the Southport Model Railway Village – a pretty unique experience, and yours for only £4.50 entry. Finally, let’s not forget the British Lawnmower Museum, a short walk from the town and everything a specialist museum should be: earnest, interesting and incredibly eccentric.

Discover our top picks

Everyman & Playhouse Spring Summer Season
Theatre Until 22 July 2023,

Everyman & Playhouse Spring/ Summer Season

A busy and brilliant season – expect contemporary takes on the classics, world premiere adaptations of bestsellers and fantastical family shows. There’s plenty to enjoy in Liverpool’s theatres this spring.

Activity Until 31 January 2025, £8.50 with concessions

Old Dock Tours, Liverpool

The Old Dock tour is a treat for younger and older visitors alike, fans of Liverpool’s maritime past, and anybody curious about local history.

Exhibitions 10 June–17 September 2023, FREE

Liverpool Biennial 2023 – uMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things

The 12th edition of the UK’s oldest and largest festival of contemporary visual art is back this year, bringing with it art focusing on ancestral knowledge, wisdom and healing.

Exhibitions Until 30 April 2023, FREE

Kathryn Maple: Under a Hot Sun at the Walker Art Gallery

Come along to ‘Under a Hot Sun’, presenting the 2020 John Moores Painting Prize winner Kathryn Maple’s first solo exhibition.

Exhibitions Until 4 June 2023, from £5.00

JMW Turner with Lamin Fofana: Dark Waters at Tate Liverpool

See JWM Turner’s work like never before paired with Lamin Fofana’s immersive exhsound environment in ‘Dark Waters’, a very special exhibition at Tate Liverpool opening this September.

Exhibitions Until 9 April 2023, FREE

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley & Josèfa Ntjam at FACT

FACT presents the final instalment of the Radical Ancestry programme with a new show by Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley & Josèfa Ntjam.

Richard III at Liverpool Playhouse
Theatre 6–22 April 2023, from £11.00

Richard III at Liverpool Playhouse

Stepping into the shoes of Richard III, Adjoa Andoh will bring a fresh portrayal of Shakespeare’s most notorious antihero to Liverpool this spring.

Alice in Wonderland at Liverpool Playhouse
Theatre 4–22 July 2023, from £11.00

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland at Liverpool Playhouse

Bursting with brilliant original music inspired by the British pop scene, buckle up and follow Alice as she tumbles into Wonderland. A super show for the whole family.

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