Southport

Creative Tourist

Last Updated 27 April 2018

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

Exhibitions 17 October–22 December 2019, FREE

Peer to Peer at Open Eye Gallery & St. George’s Hall, Liverpool

Featuring 14 artists deemed on the verge of major international recognition, Peer to Peer at Open Eye provides a snapshot of the state of art in the UK and China today.

Exhibitions 14 June–10 November 2019, FREE

Sol Calero at Tate Liverpool

Tate Liverpool presents a new commission by Venezuelan-born, Berlin-based artist Sol Calero, whose brightly coloured, large-scale immersive installations offer a sharply satirical critique of the surreal set of stereotypes and clichés attached to different cultures.

Exhibitions 13 March–26 October 2019, FREE

Developing History at the Hardmans’ House

As one of Liverpool’s lesser known gems prepares to reopen its doors for 2019, we look forward to encountering a rare series of photographs only recently discovered by chance in the cluttered darkroom of the Hardmans’ former, perfectly-preserved home.

Theatre 11–16 November 2019, from £10.00

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at Liverpool Playhouse

Adapted by award-winning writer, Rona Munro, this is the 1818 seminal gothic horror novel as you’ve never seen it before.

Families 23 November 2019–18 January 2020, from £15.00

Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto: Sleeping Beauty at Liverpool Everyman

Well, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a trip to see Liverpool’s jukebox-sensational Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto, would it?

Theatre 29 October–2 November 2019, from £15.00

Blood Runs Deep at the Epstein Theatre

Following its sell-out pilot production at the Unity Theatre in 2018, acclaimed new psychological thriller Blood Runs Deep premieres in Liverpool this Halloween.

The gripping production from Break A Leg Productions in association with Bill Elms is guaranteed to have audiences on the edge of their seats.

Single mother Karen Richards is on the run with her unsuspecting son, praying she can hide their chilling family secret and live a normal life. But when an unwelcome visitor arrives at her home, the truth catches up with her, resulting in terrifying consequences. When the truth surfaces, there is no escape!

Starring actor and singer Antony Costa as Greg in the lead role

Also starring Emma Vaudrey as Karen, Brandon McCaffrey as Jake and Alice Merivale as Zoe.

Written by Emma Culshaw and David Paul | Directed by Margaret Connell

WHAT THE PRESS SAID…

★★★★ “Intense, thrilling and brilliantly performed” – North West End

Theatre 24 September 2019–18 January 2020,

Everyman & Playhouse Autumn Season

A busy and brilliant season, expect award-winning musicals, stage adaptations of revered literary classics and celebrated cult films, alongside high-quality family shows. There is plenty to enjoy in Liverpool’s theatres this autumn.

Literature 7 November 2019, 7:30 pm–10:30 pm, from £15

Roger McGough at Liverpool Playhouse

Roger McGough launches his new collection joinedupwriting in his home town of Liverpool. Described as ‘exuberant’, the poems within range from forgotten friendships and the idiosyncrasies of family life to the trauma of war and contemporary global politics.