Penny Lane Weekender is back this August promoting some of the best local talent

Penny Lane is continuing to grow it’s global music legacy with the return of the 3-day music festival, Penny Lane Weekender showcasing some of the best local artists and bands.

Returning for its third year, the festival will take over venues all located on or around Liverpool’s iconic Penny Lane.

Created in 2023 by Liverpool Post-Punk band Pleasure Island, the grassroots community festival was conceived to showcase Liverpool-based acts from the local community. Initially billed as a one-off event in the upstairs area of Dovedale Towers, a pub famous for being the residence of Freddie Mercury before his Queen glory days, the event immediately blossomed into a festival in its first year, taking on a second venue and a few extra days to accommodate the demand.

Now in its third year of operation, Penny Lane Weekender has grown into a smash success that continues to discover fresh new music and widen opportunities for emerging musicians from both Liverpool and the rest of the UK. The 2025 lineup promises an eclectic mix of Indie, Rock, Punk, Electronica, Dance and Pop including local frontrunners The DSM IV, infectious spiky sci-fi rockers SILENT-K, Japanese psych-rock band Qujaku and the hosts themselves, Pleasure Island. 

Organiser (and frontman of Pleasure Island) Sean Regan says:

“This festival has been a shock for us all, given how we started it only two years ago as a gig upstairs in a pub! We’ve been very fortunate that the community has gotten behind this in such an incredible way, we just hope we can keep making it better and do everyone proud. Liverpool already has great festivals, but this is a part of town which hasn’t had a lot of love, despite its musical legacy. Everyone who comes here tells us what a great place it is, with an amazing atmosphere that is perfect for a weekend of live music. We’re really looking forward to seeing everyone again.”

In the wake of increasing financial pressures – resulting in the loss of 125 grassroots music venues across the UK last year alone (Music Venue Trust) – the role that events like Penny Lane Weekender represent are even more crucial, dedicated to platforming new music and local talent. The festival continues to honour Penny Lane’s significance in Liverpool’s musical history, as a hotspot for budding musicians and bands who are struggling to make it on the map.

Book tickets for Penny Lane Weekender here.

Find more music events across Liverpool here.

Find out what’s good up North on our new platform, The Northern Guide.

From the best hotels, beauty spots, days out, food and more up North – visit thenorthernguide.com and follow The Northern Guide on Instagram HERE.