Wirral artists to open their doors for peninsula-wide creative studio trail

Art lovers are being invited to explore some of the Wirral’s most unique creative spaces this summer as more than 90 artists open their private studios to the public.

The Wirral Open Studio Tour returns on the weekend of 13–14 June 2026, giving visitors the chance to step behind the scenes and meet artists in the places where they create their work.

Now in its 16th year, the annual event celebrates the peninsula’s thriving creative community, with studios opening everywhere from an old fire station in Port Sunlight to a former greengrocer’s shop in New Brighton and a Georgian townhouse in Hamilton Square.

Visitors will be able to meet artists, learn more about their creative process and even purchase original pieces directly from the makers themselves.

The Wirral Open Studio Tour — Art work by Derek Prescott

The artists taking part work across a wide range of styles and materials including painting, ceramics, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, photography, woodworking, glass and jewellery.

A free tour brochure is available online through Wirral Arts, with printed copies also available at galleries, cafés, libraries and community centres across the peninsula in the lead up to the event.

Event organiser Helen Smith says the tour offers a completely different experience from visiting a traditional gallery.

She said the event gives people the chance to chat directly with artists, see the spaces where their work is created and discover creative talent right on their doorstep. She added that the sense of exploration across the peninsula is part of what makes the tour so special.

Among the artists taking part is Ling Warlow, who creates detailed sculptures of British wildflowers using paper, wire and glue. She will be welcoming visitors to her studio at Wood Street Studios in Hoylake.

Ling said she enjoys meeting members of the local community during the event and sharing her passion for wildflowers, adding that many visitors gradually begin to notice the intricate detail in the pieces as they explore the studio.

Also joining the tour for the first time is contemporary pop artist Phil Pike, whose colourful work is inspired by 1980s music and pop culture. Phil will be opening his home studio near Eastham Country Park.

He said he moved to the Wirral from the South West a few years ago and quickly fell in love with the peninsula’s coastline, green spaces and strong sense of community, adding that taking part in the tour feels like a way of giving something back.

Ceramicist Lonn Landis will also be welcoming visitors to his new studio in the historic Old Fire Station Port Sunlight. Lonn creates hand-thrown ceramics using clay foraged from around the Wirral.

He described the event as the highlight of his year, saying it gives him the chance to meet a wide range of people across the weekend and share the story behind his work. Visitors will also be able to see the equipment he uses to grind locally sourced rocks into powder for his glazes, with pottery demonstrations possible if time allows.