Top Picks
Guides
What’s on
Where to go
See all

LIPA, The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

Jennifer
LIPA, Liverpool. Courtesy LIPA

The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts opened in 1996 to forge a new approach to performing arts training. It was co-founded by  Sir Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty (who also set up the Brit school), and is housed in McCartney’s old school, which underwent a multi-million pound renovation to transform it into a state-of-the-art performing arts higher education institution.

LIPA puts on over 30 public performances each year, with productions often gaining critical acclaim in The Liverpool Echo and The Daily Post. From classic dramas, issue-based contemporary plays, popular musical theatre and inspiring dance performances to pop, rock and jazz concerts – LIPA has something for everyone.

Mount StreetLiverpoolL1 9HF View map
Telephone: 0151 330 3000 Visit now

Admission Charges

Prices vary

Services and Facilities

Theatre, dance and music performances

What's on near LIPA, The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

Static at Unity Theatre.
TheatreCity Centre
Static at Unity Theatre

Fiercely personal, Elaine Collins’ new semi-autobiographical solo show about memories, misfits and the messy side of showbiz is a must-see this May.

From £12.00
Experience a unique deep listening art installation inviting audiences to lay down and be bathed in sound and light.
Until
ExhibitionsManchester
ORIGIN at Dunham Massey

Art and wellness come together in the beautiful surroundings of Dunham Massey, in ORIGN, a new immersive sound installation.

Free entry
See all events

Where to go near LIPA, The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

The Hardmans' House, Liverpool
Liverpool
Museum
The Hardmans’ House

The Hardmans’ House in Liverpool provides an intimate insight into the life and work of the respectable yet widely-deemed eccentric couple that resided there for over 40 years.

bar
City Centre
Brewery
Ye Cracke

Hidden in the Georgian Quarter, Ye Cracke is a historic Liverpool pub, known for being John Lennon’s local in his student days

City Centre
Theatre
Unity Theatre, Liverpool

A well-loved, vibrant Liverpool theatre with a local focus, showcasing the city’s creative diversity with a fantastic programme of performances, events and workshops.

The Grapes Pub, Liverpool
City Centre
Bar or Pub
The Grapes Liverpool

The Grapes is one of the oldest pubs in Liverpool – an arty haunt, with punters just as likely to be found discussing Derrida as football.

food and drink
City Centre
Café or Coffee Shop
Artefact

Artefact combines vintage finds with a laid-back coffee shop experience, plus a busy schedule of events from open mic nights to exhibitions

City Centre
Hotel
Hope Street Hotel

Hope Street Hotel is a stylish and contemporary boutique affair in Liverpool’s Georgian Quarter, with cosy rooms and two excellent restaurants

food and drink
City Centre
Café or Coffee Shop
COFFI

A speciality coffee shop in Liverpool’s historic Georgian Quarter, COFFI serves some of the best coffee in the city.

City Centre
Restaurant
92 Degrees Coffee

Since 2015, 92 Degrees have been roasting and serving the finest coffee, whilst providing a friendly atmosphere in a comfortable space.

See all places

Liverpool District Guides

Birkenhead Priory
Things to do on the Wirral

The Wirral is a short train (or ferry) ride away from Liverpool so why not sample its best arts and culture spots?
southport guide
Southport

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…
Baltic Triangle, Liverpool

Read our guide to The Baltic Triangle, a great spot for eating, drinking and partying in Liverpool.
Lark Lane, Liverpool

A little way out of Liverpool City Centre, and a short and leafy walk from St Michael’s train station, is the low-key enclave of Lark Lane. Rather beautifully named, this…
Art galleries in Liverpool
William Brown Street, Liverpool

Our guide to the museum centre of the city, with beautiful library rooms, marble sculptures and excellent coffee.
Ropewalks and Chinatown, Liverpool

The Ropewalks is a part of Liverpool that combines old and new. Taking in arts, culture and hospitality, read our guide to the area.
City Centre, Liverpool

Liverpool city centre is not short of arts and cultural gems, which we round-up into a handy guide.

Culture Guides

Sextile
Music in the North

Gigs are coming in hot this spring – from long-awaited returns to one-off happenings you’ll blink and miss (unless you’re paying attention).

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Eclectic as ever. You'll find inventive reworkings, world-class contemporary dance and Greater Manchester's inaugural Improv Festival in our guide.

Laura Ellen Bacon, Into Being, 2025. Photo © India Hobson, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Exhibitions in the North

Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month

portrait of Lorsung in a dark shirt with dark hair and dark round glasses
Literature Events in the North

We've got laughs and we've got leftfield on the live literature radar this month. Something for everyone, from poets playing with form to short story writers looking long.

Classical Music in the North

Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.