15 ways to beat the blues this January in Liverpool

If it’s not the driving rain and gale force winds, taking down the deccies and realising Christmas really is over for another year is enough to send anyone into a spiral of doom and gloom… BUT… smile!

It’s the first month of a brand new – and hopefully better-than-ever – year, and if you want a few ideas on how you can help beat the blues this January in Liverpool, here’s 15:

Walk the Sefton Coastal Path

There’s nothing like salty air and a fresh coastal breeze to get rid of the cobwebs and get you feeling fab, and if you add to that the spectacular views of Liverpool, New Brighton and North Wales you get all along this amazing walkway, you’ll be brighter and ready to face the world again in no time. It takes in miles of coastline from Crosby to Southport, and highlights include Antony Gormley’s famous iron men at Crosby Beach and Formby Red Squirrel Reserve.

More info here.

Enjoy the picturesque Lake House in Crosby (Jan deals available too)

Tie this one in with the one above – or just head straight there! The Lake House is a shoreside restaurant retreat on the edge of the marine lake in Crosby, offering the most incredible locally sourced food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all served with beautiful views across the lake (it’s even got hotel rooms if you fancy a bit of a break). Better still, throughout January there’s 25% off food during the day, and 50% off in the evening. Bon appetit!

More info here.

For more dining deals this January in Liverpool click HERE.

Get a fitness coach with Absolute Body Solutions

There are Absolute Body Solutions centres in Speke and Liverpool City Centre (as well as Manchester, Leeds and London) and they can help you feel fitter physically in 2024 – and mentally. “The gym plays a huge part in people’s mental health,” says director Connor O’Brien, “especially with personal training. It gives you two or three hours a week of time spent solely focused on you, giving you the chance to release stress and talk through anything you need as you train. It can play a huge role in lifting people’s mood.” There’s a range of personal training programmes and nutrition plans to get great results.

To start your fitness journey this January in Liverpool click here.

Book a dot-art painting class

Release your inner artist, and try something new or develop your skills across a range of great city venues: The Bluecoat, BOLD Place, The Plaza, The Baltic Creative, St. George’s Hall, dot-art Gallery and dot-art Darkroom. You can unwind as you paint – it’s so therapeutic – while creating a new masterpiece to adorn your living room wall.

More info here.

Treat yourself to a spa day at Titanic, Municipal, or further afield at Carden Park

There’s nothing like a pampering session to restore your mojo and get you feeling great again, and there’s so many treatments you can choose from in any of these superb venues, whether you go for the subterranean splendour of Maya Blue Wellness Centre at the Titanic Hotel, the spa at the new Municipal Hotel with its 16m pool with thermae spa, or the fabulousness of Carden Park which boasts garden facilities within the scenic Cheshire countryside.

Book tickets to see Pretty Woman The Musical at the Empire 

We all want the fairytale, and this new stage version of a rom-com classic is just that, and guaranteed to put a smile on your face and get you feeling all’s well with the world. It’s big.  It’s HUGE, and the tale of the love affair of Vivian and high-flying businessman Edward is on at the Empire from Tuesday, January 23 to Saturday, February 3.

More info here.

Country pubs – The Red Fox on Wirral to get away from it all

There’s nothing like relaxing with a drink in your hand and enjoying the food and company – and maybe a roaring fire! – of a great country pub, and this a gorgeous one, not too far away in Thornton Hough. Set in the heart of the countryside, it’s got lovely landscaped lawns outside as well as spacious rooms and cute nooks and crannies inside; it’s a Good Beer Guide winner, and has a tasty menu with light bites and more hearty meals on the menu. 

More info here.

Try Float therapy at FLOATPLANET

Floating has been shown to increase mental and physical wellbeing in as little as an hour. It can leave you feeling more happy and relaxed, calmer, with fewer aches and pains, and confident of a better night’s sleep – and you can book a solo floating session from £49, or take up membership at the Dale Street centre for a well-being journey throughout the year.

More info here.

Watch Wonka at Crosby Plaza

Cheer yourself up with this feelgood film that charts the adventures of a young Willy Wonka and how he came to meet the Oompa Loompas, while supporting this fab community cinema and enjoying its wonderfully cosy and welcoming environment. Adult tickets start at £5.90 too so it’s not going to break the bank!

More info here.

Join Penny Lane Striders to run off that Christmas bloat

It’s Liverpool’s most famous running club so if you fancy getting fitter and meeting more people in the new year, this could be the perfect one for you to try. They’re a ‘friendly and welcoming bunch’ and while a few of them are pretty fast – they say many of them are anything but! You can enjoy a few taster sessions for free before you sign up to join, so why not put your best foot forward and jog along?

More info here.

Set yourself a challenge in 2024 like the Alder Hey Sky Dive

You don’t have to have a long list of resolutions you’ll never keep, but you could set yourself a challenge to give yourself a sense of adventure and achievement – and even raise money for a great cause while you’re at it.

There are lots of things you can do this January in Liverpool, from running and cycling challenges, to daredevil ones like the Alder Hey Big Jump Sky Dive on April 27 where you’ll get the chance to do an adrenaline-pumping sponsored freefall parachute jump from 10,000 ft up. Feeling brave?!

More info here.

Treat yourself to some vinyl at the new Jacaranda Baltic (opening next week)

After first opening on Slater Street 65 years ago, Liverpool’s iconic Jacaranda is opening another premises in the Baltic Triangle – Jacaranda Baltic. The new site’s made up of a record shop and a 400-capacity performance area located inside Cain’s Brewery, and the record store will stock a curated mix of local and international artists’ new releases, along with all the classic albums you’d expect to find. It’ll open its doors this Friday, January 12, at 10am with a special gift for the first few customers.

More info here.

Get some culture in your bones at our incredible museums

From the International Slavery Museum to Sudley House and the World Museum Liverpool, with seven venues across Merseyside there’s always something to do to brighten up your day within National Museums Liverpool – and almost all of it for free! Highlights currently include the Return of the Gods exhibition at World Museum Liverpool, looking at the lives, loves and legacy of the Ancient Greek and Roman gods, the original influencers and superheroes who played an important part in everyday life and, in a tribute to one of the city’s own heroes, Happiness! at Liverpool Museum, celebrating the king of Knotty Ash, comedian, actor and singer, Ken Dodd.

More info here.

Party the blues away at a Camp and Furnace party night (there’s lots coming up this January in Liverpool)

It’s always one of the hottest tickets in town when Camp and Furnace plans an event, and whether it’s live music, laughter, a quiz or and good old game of bingo that’s on the cards at the Baltic venue, you know you’re in for a great night. Already planned for the early part of this year is their famous Friends Quiz, a tribute party night to the legendary U2 with U2UK, and a Tainted Love 80s Night. Get your glad rags ready folks.

More info here.

Visit an attraction

Okay that’s a great idea, the hardest thing is which to choose! So for starters what about Knowsley Safari, getting up close and personal to hundreds of rare and wild animals on the 550-acre site currently being made even more famous by the new Channel 4 documentary series Secret Life of the Safari Park; see the city up high at RLB360 and learn all about the iconic waterfront landmark, The Royal Liver Building; or unwind at the Strawberry Field café or take a walk in the gardens of the Beaconsfield Road attraction where a young John Lennon found a quiet spot to play with friends, climb trees and reflect.

For more things to do this January in Liverpool, check out our calendar here.