10 things to do in Liverpool to beat the blues this January

It might be January but there’s still plenty to make you smile in Liverpool.

If it’s not the constant drizzle and driving winds, taking down the deccies and realising Christmas is over for yet another year is enough to send us all into a spiral of gloom.

But, it’s the first month of what we hope will be a better year, and here’s 10 things you can do in Liverpool during January to help beat the blues.

Have a fancy tea at Barnacle

Cumbrian ox cheek

We’re loving Barnacle, and the newest name at Duke Street Food and Drink Market’s got a great pedigree with Art School boss Paul Askew at the helm. With a nod to the port’s heritage and bustling trade, and dishes inspired by, and drawn from, local producers, farmers and artisans, it’s got mouthwatering meals like Cumbrian ox cheek with mash, and Knowsley game terrine and, combine that with delicious desserts like Maghull Carrot Cake and Liverpool Tart, a brilliantly stocked bar, and some great deals this month, you’re guaranteed a terrific tea.

More info here.

Take in some theatre at The Empire with Les Miserables

There’s nothing like the orchestra striking up and curtains rising to send the chills down your spine – and theatre doesn’t come much better than this epic musical production of love and redemption from Cameron Mackintosh, set in 19^th century France and telling the story of Jean Valjean who’s released from a lengthy jail sentence after stealing a loaf of bread. With stirring songs and themes of courage, love, heartbreak, and the resilience of the human spirit, it’ll warm your heart.

On from Wednesday, January 5 to Saturday, January 22.

More info here.

Celebrate Liverpool’s cultural icons at Wondrous Place at Museum of Liverpool

Try to list the ever-growing roll call of talent in the city and you’ll be there for hours but the Museum of Liverpool has tried to narrow it down a little bit with a superb gallery showcasing some of our world-famous entertainers, musicians, sports people, writers, poets, visual artists and comedians. It opened on November 26 last year and it’s so worth a look with costumes from Killing Eve, Spice Girl Mel C’s stage outfits, and iconic Beatles suits on show, along with running shoes worn by 2019 World Champion heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Natasha Jonas’s Miss GB boxing shorts, and more.

More info here.

Celebrate Amy Winehouse at Camp and Furnace with a live orchestra

You won’t be back to black – or blue – with this monster of a night on January 29. The Untold Orchestra is back in Liverpool with ‘Amy Winehouse: An Orchestral Rendition’, remembering one of the most legendary and too-soon-departed artists of our time. Joined by special guest singers, the orchestra will perform renditions of some of Amy’s greatest songs as you’ve never heard them before.

More info here.

Be wowed with Hot Wheels Monster Truck Live at M&S Bank Arena

Smashing, crashing and epic battles are promised as Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live gets ready to go BIG in its tour return with more trucks than ever before! It’s your only chance to see real-life versions of the famous Hot Wheels monster truck toys as they fight it out, along with special appearances from the car-eating, fire-breathing, transforming robot Megasaurus, and the high-flyers of Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live, Freestyle Motocross! It’s on from January 14-16, so fasten your seatbelts, you’re in for a bumpy but thrilling ride!

More info here.

Have a giggle at the Laughterhouse Comedy club

MCs Chris Cains and Neil Fitzmaurice are ready to introduce you to a series of Friday and Saturday night shows at the Fenwick Street venue, with some of the funniest comics around – including Andy Askins with his killer lines and comic songs, warm-up legend Steve Royle with his own brand of humour, and juggling talents. And, of course, themselves!

More info here.

Dining deals

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill

From money off food, to complimentary bottles of wine and more, there’s loads of great restaurant offers around in the city at the moment to make it almost as cheap as eating at home – and you don’t have to prepare it yourself or do the washing up! Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill is offering 50% off main meals until the 16^th; London Carriage Works has got a two-course lunch for two for just £15 per person and Ma Boyle’s is offering two for one on its famous scouse. Tuck in!

Join a fitness club or class with yoga, pilates, swimming, meditation and more available in the city

Nuffield Health Club Liverpool

If you’re worried you’ve overeaten over the festive season or you reckon, like many, it’s time for a ‘New Year, New You’, then fear not, because help is at hand by the bucket-load.  Liverpool’s Lifestyles centres might be a good place to start with loads of classes to get you active or focusing on your mental wellbeing; you can look online for a host of free sessions from Zumba to pilates, or you could join the Ramblers for a bracing walk.

Check out Lifestyles here.

Check out Nuffield Health here.

Check out Liverpool Pilates Hub here.

Check out the Ramblers here.

Take a step back in time with the History Whisperer at St George’s Hall

This is a fabulous new experience which really brings St George’s Hall to life and transports you back in time to when this extraordinary building was the meeting point of great wealth and destitution. Just like the city, History Whisperer, Livie, is full of heart, humour, emotion and dreams, and you can join her as she leads you through the sights and sounds of prison life in an immersive journey through Liverpool’s social history…

More info here.

Celebrate the music of Frankie as the FGTH exhibition draws to a close at the BME

Something to do during January – visit @thebme and celebrate British music with the likes of #DavidBowie, #Queen, #SpiceGirls and more. 🤩🎶

There's also a special Frankie Goes to Hollywood exhibition running until 30 Jan with LOADS of @FGTH_Official memorabilia from 1984. pic.twitter.com/7CC0zZxgha

— The Guide Liverpool 🌇 (@TheGuideLpool) January 4, 2022

There’s only a few weeks left to see this amazing exhibition – Frankie Say 1984! The World Is My Oyster – which charts Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s impact and contribution to popular music. You can see some of their stage outfits, instruments, memorabilia and a collection of retro “Frankie Say” merchandise; but the focus is on their meteoric success in 1984 against a backdrop of Thatcher, strikes, the Cold War, HIV and IRA bombs.

More info here.