Marketing Liverpool have announced some of the highlights of the city region’s events programme for the year ahead, which reflect Liverpool’s world-class visitor offer in a programme of art, music, sport, theatre, sport, food and drink.
Councillor Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council Cabinet Member for culture and Visitor Economy, said, “Liverpool’s visitor economy experienced a really encouraging recovery in 2021 with a host of brand new attractions, hotels, bars and restaurants. And we’re building on that recovery with a fantastic programme of festivals, exhibitions and attractions in 2022. If you’re looking for travel inspiration, get ready to pack your bags and make sure Liverpool is on your list for 2022.”
Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool and Chair of the Visitor Economy Board for the Liverpool City Region, said, “2022 is shaping up to be a fantastic year across the City Region, with many exciting things to look forward to already announced. At National Museums Liverpool, visitors and residents can expect a wide range of experiences – from the science behind Doctor Who at World Museum, to the fascinating culture and history of the Tudors at Walker Art Gallery. With such a wide range of things to get involved with, Liverpool is sure to be the must visit destination of the year.”
2022 Highlights
Liverpool doubles as Gotham City for the Batman, from 4 March
In March 2022, Liverpool will take a starring role in The Batman as a double for Gotham City. With many scenes featuring iconic Liverpool locations such as the Royal Liver Building and St George’s Hall, it’s the perfect time to come to Liverpool for a film tour.
For his Gotham City, The Batman director Matt Reeves wanted to create “an American city you’ve never been to”. Step in Liverpool, the waterfront city in northern England more commonly associated with football and The Beatles. Batman fans will see the city double up as Gotham throughout the 2022 blockbuster, with Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz filming at several of its most famous sites.
Space, The Universe and Everything, 18 – 27 February
This immersive art experience is set to transform the inside of Liverpool Cathedral with an extraordinary display of lights, projections and sound, which will see visitors surrounded by the awe-inspiring wonders of the universe as they walk through the building’s vast splendor.
Liverpool Sound City, 30 April – 1 May
Liverpool Sound City is the UK’s leading independent festival for new music, taking place across the city centre in some of Liverpool’s much loved music venues. The three day festival features some of the biggest up-and-coming artists and grassroots talent alongside a conference on all things music. The first 15 names to celebrate 15 years of Sound City have been announced, as The Lathums take to the stage for their first ever headline slot at a major festival. With hundreds more acts to be announced, tickets are on sale for one of Liverpool’s biggest weekends in music.
The Tudors: Passion, Power and Politics, 21 May – 29 August
Step back in time to the Tudor court and discover the fascinating politics, powerful family connections and unique culture of the most famous royals in history at Walker Art Gallery. Portraits on display will include the Tudor monarchs, alongside their counsellors and courtiers with some of the works having never been shown outside of London, including a portrait of Jane Seymour. The exhibition will consider the Tudors from a range of perspectives, spotlighting some historically underrepresented aspects of the period including Black Tudor history and LGBTQ+ history.
Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder, 27 May – 30 October
From epic monsters to costumes and props, science is brought to life exploring some of the Doctor’s many adventures and encounters through space and time in Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder at World Museum. This world premiere exhibition will see visitors engage with original artefacts, sets and much more – it’s a must-see for any fan of Doctor Who and science enthusiasts too. Explore the past, present and future of the Earth and the vast reaches of the cosmos in this imaginative new exhibition, presented by Sarner International under license from BBC Studios.
Sound City Presents: David Bowie World Fan Convention, 17 – 19 June
Coming to venues across Liverpool in June 2022, over the 50th anniversary weekend of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, an all-star line-up of David Bowie’s closest friends and collaborators will come together exclusively to celebrate the Man Who Fell To Earth.
The Shakespeare North Playhouse, summer 2022
The grand opening of this new arts and culture attraction in the North, located in Prescot, Liverpool is only 10 miles east of Liverpool City Centre. Prescot has a historic connection to William Shakespeare, through the support he received from the Earls of Derby. Now, four and a half centuries later sees the arrival of Shakespeare North Playhouse – at its core is a 470-seat theatre, a complete replica of the cockpit-in-court design popular during the Elizabethan era. Alongside the theatre will be an outdoor performance garden, exhibition and visitor centre and educational facilities.
Rugby League World Cup, 15 October – 19 November
For the first time, the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments in the Rugby League World Cup will take place together in 2022 and the Totally Wicked Stadium in St Helens has been announced as one of the host venues.
The Turner Prize at Tate Liverpool, 20 October 2022 – 19 March 2023
Liverpool will be living up to its reputation as a hub for contemporary art when it welcomes the Turner Prize, the most famous art award in the UK, which comes to Tate Liverpool at the Royal Albert Dock in October 2022.
River of Light Trail, 21 October – 5 November
Liverpool’s much-loved light trail, River of Light, will return to the city’s waterfront next October for another celebration of light, sound and art. Showcasing installations from local and international artists, the concept, whilst largely under wraps, will link into the World Gymnastics Championships that takes place at the same time at the M&S Bank Arena.
World Gymnastics Championships Liverpool 2022, 29 October – 6 November
There will be a show like never before on Liverpool’s waterfront next autumn, as more than 500 of the world’s best gymnasts from 75 countries descend on the M&S Bank Arena for the 51st FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. They will battle it out across a full range of artistic gymnastic disciplines, to be crowned world champion and qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Eureka! Science + Discovery, autumn 2022
Set to open in autumn 2022, Eureka! Science + Discovery will be one of the North West’s most innovative new visitor attractions and has been co-created specifically with and for children and young people aged 6 – 14. Building on the award-winning approach of Eureka! The National Children’s Museum in Yorkshire, the attraction also features a dedicated area for the under 5s and will encourage today’s younger generations to explore and engage with the exciting science stories and challenges of today and the future.
For more information go to visitliverpool.com.
