CBBC Announces huge family festival coming to Liverpool this summer

Massive news for Liverpool today as the BBC has announced its first ever outdoor kids festival, and it is coming to Croxteth Park.

CBBC Summer Social is the BBC’s biggest ever kids event and is the only festival to give 6-12 year olds and their families a jam packed line up of CBBC favourites alongside a raft of international music acts including Union J, HRVY, Johnny Orlando, Matt Terry and Mackenzie Ziegler.

Tickets go on general sale at 9am on Thursday, March 29th and for there will be a special one day sale for Liverpool postcodes only on Wednesday 28th March.

Taking place at Croxteth Hall in Liverpool over three days from August 3-5th, CBBC Summer Social is the biggest live event ever undertaken by CBBC. As well as fabulous musical stars, the unique line up will showcase the very best CBBC talent and the most popular shows on the channel including The Next Step, The Worst Witch, Deadly 60, Saturday Mash-Up!, Got What It Takes and the Pets Factor. There will also be appearances from CBBC royalty including Hacker T Dog, Sam and Mark, Naomi Wilkinson, Ben Shires and many more.  

For younger fans, CBeebies favourite, Mr Tumble, will be on site along with a CBeebies Village packed with enticing activities and performances. Swashbuckle’s Cook and Line will be causing mayhem, there will be a chance to go wild with Andy Day, learn about pets with Ferne and Rory from Vet’s Tales, have a boogie at the groovy Go Jetters disco and even listen to a Bedtime Story or two.  

CBBC’s Sam and Mark will host the main stage with non-stop fun for all the family. This stage will be at the centre of all the action with specially curated performances from world-class orchestras, West End musicals and international young music sensations Johnny Orlando and MacKenzie Ziegler performing their only UK gig this year.

Each day will have music acts such as Union J, Bars and Melody, Matt Terry and HRVY performing on the main stage and the key action will be broadcast live on CBBC.  Keep an eye out for further announcements as we get closer to the event. 

Matt Terry

Running alongside the main stage will be a spectacular range of outdoor and indoor activities including a BBC Music Introducing and LIMF live performance stage with music curated from across Merseyside.  

All around Croxteth Country Park visitors can discover immersive activity zones, theatre shows, interactive and inspiring art workshops and live appearances from the most popular children’s authors. Join in the cool outdoor and sporting activities hosted by Liverpool Football Club’s official charity – LFC Foundation and Everton in the Community with Everton Football Club, and enjoy top class musical experiences with Opera North and Royal Albert Hall. 

And if that’s not enough there’ll also be junior discos, slime experimenting, themed treasure hunts, gaming areas, character walk-abouts, vlogger meet and greets and much much more. The Petting Farm, Victorian Walled Garden and the Grade ll listed Croxteth Hall will form an historic backdrop to the very best of CBBC programming.

The event is being organised in partnership with Liverpool City Council and forms part of Liverpool 2018 – a year of projects marking a decade since Liverpool was European Capital of Culture. 

Alice Webb Director, BBC Children’s said, “We’re exceptionally proud to launch our first CBBC Summer Social in Liverpool this summer. We know that CBBC and CBeebies are the most loved kids channels in the UK and we’re always looking for ways to get closer to our audience. So this summer we’re giving them the chance to step away from their tablets to get up close to their favourite stars and take part in loads of fun activities. There’ll be no other festival like Summer Social in the UK this summer as we bring together international music stars to perform alongside beloved characters from both of our channels. We can’t wait to get to Croxteth Park and bring this unique festival experience to kids and their families.”  

The Worst Witch – BBC. Photographer: James Stack

Director of Culture for Liverpool, Claire McColgan MBE, said:  “Over the last decade we have seen the power of transformative events across Liverpool – not just in terms of the economic boost, but the emotional investment felt by those communities the events touch. We’re incredibly proud of Croxteth Country Park and we’re delighted it has been chosen as the home for CBBC Summer Social. It is a major moment for the city and we are delighted to be in partnership with the BBC which, as a public sector broadcaster and worldwide brand, shares our values and has the ability to tell a story in the most incredible way. 

“It will give the chance for a whole new audience to discover Croxteth to see its beauty and experience its history – not just the thousands that attend but also the people watching at home across the country. It’s one of the final pieces of the jigsaw in the 18 programme and we are so proud and excited to see it come to life.”

Tickets go on general sale on Thursday, March 29th and don’t forget if you have a Liverpool postcode you can buy 24 hours before the rest of the UK on Wednesday March 28th and further information is available at bbc.co.uk/cbb