‘Liverpool becomes a playground’ as the arts reopens for LightNight this Friday

Liverpool arts will be “officially open” with the return of the one night only arts festival, LightNight on Friday 21 May.

The festival offers an after-hours culture crawl, with major arts venues reopening and events taking place throughout the city centre. The hybrid event also has an online offering for those who want to attend from home.

Visitors can enjoy everything from live DJs, brass bands and choirs, light installations, fire workshops, walking tours and circus skills, to playful Zoom workshops and performances, graffiti art, late openings across Liverpool Biennial 2021 and artist studios, games, theatre, dance and much more.

The theme for LightNight is ‘Play’ reflecting on the role of arts and culture in escape, creativity and happiness. The arts festival takes place as the next stage of relaxed restrictions, in accordance with government guidelines, which sees entertainment, leisure and attractions reopen.

Tate Liverpool – Picture by Gareth Jones

Venues opening late include World Museum, Walker Art Gallery, Zap Graffiti, Tate Liverpool, Open Eye Gallery, FACT, Bluecoat, Cotton Exchange, District, Northern Lights, Liverpool Cathedral, Liverpool Town Hall, St Luke’s Bombed out Church, VideOdyssey at Toxteth TV and more.

Lewis’s Building

Many of the venues, while mostly free to enter, are ticketed and will have limited numbers inside to meet social distancing guidelines, so organisers Open Culture are urging visitors to browse the listings at www.lightnightliverpool.co.uk, book free tickets and plan their night in advance. The website allows visitors to save their favourite events with an itinerary builder which can be saved and shared with friends.

Audiences enjoying the festival online can find over 40 exhibitions, talks, workshops and performances. Events include learning how to make your own stop motion animation from Victoria Gallery & Museum, a livestream from music trio Stealing Sheep at British Music Experience, a showing of Vasily Petrenko Conducts music by Arenksy, Weber and Haydn from Liverpool Philharmonic, John Moores Painting Prize at Walker Art Gallery and playful technology demos from Liverpool Science Park.

The full LightNight listings are available at lightnightliverpool.co.uk