Big gigs in Liverpool during 2026

Liverpool isn’t the official capital of pop, a UNESCO City of Music AND the birthplace of the most famous band the world has ever seen for nothing.

Music runs through Liverpool’s veins like the Mersey runs into Liverpool Bay, and you can hear it wherever you go, on the streets, in the parks and spilling out of venues from tiny bars to giant auditoriums.

So it’s no surprise that some of the biggest, best and most loved bands and artists make sure they include it on their touring schedule.

And 2026 is no exception.

Along with the rising talent and brilliant new acts playing on stages and in venues across the city, there are also a host of legendary names and established stars set to entertain music lovers, from contemporary chart-toppers to global icons and Britpop favourites to cross-genre stars.

Here’s just a taste of who you can see and hear where in Liverpool in 2026.

M&S Bank Arena

Florence and the Machine – Feb 13

Florence + The Machine return to Liverpool in 2026 as part of their Everybody Scream Tour – and if you haven’t already secured your ticket, you may be in for a disappointment.

The February 13 gig is already sold out and a waiting list (and separate VIP ticket waiting list) is in operation for any returns.

The tour celebrates Florence Welch’s sixth studio album, Everybody Scream, which was released in October.

Florence + The Machine have become one of the most influential forces in modern music. From headline festival sets to collaborations with legends like The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, Florence continues to captivate audiences around the globe.

Opening the night is rising star Paris Paloma, who joins across all 18 dates of the tour.

Details of ticket availability HERE

Gorillaz – March 26

Gorillaz are hitting the road in Spring 2026 to celebrate the release of their ninth studio album The Mountain, out on March 20 – and they’re bringing the party to the M&S Bank Arena.

With music recorded across India, London, LA, and beyond, and featuring voices in five languages, The Mountain is set to be Gorillaz’ most ambitious project yet. Now Liverpool fans will be among the very first to experience it live.

Get ready for Murdoc, Noodle, Russel and 2D live on stage with their trademark mix of visuals, genre-bending sounds, and an extraordinary cast of collaborators. Expect tracks from The Mountain alongside fan favourites spanning their legendary 25-year career.

Support on the night comes from Trueno.

More details and tickets HERE

YUNGBLUD - April 12

YUNGBLUD is heading for Liverpool on April 12 with his Idols Tour.

The boundary-pushing artist from Doncaster, has taken the world by storm with two UK number one albums, six billion global Spotify streams, and back-to-back entries in the American Billboard Top 100.

In 2024, he launched his own festival, Bludfest which attracted more than 22,000 attendees and generated more than 200m views, and became a Sunday Times bestselling author with You Need to Exist.

Now YUNGBLUD returns with his most personal and ambitious project yet - Idols, billed as a modern rock opera and “a genre-defying album born from a journey of reinvention, rebellion, and radical self-expression.”

More details and tickets HERE

Rick Astley – April 16

He may be turning the big 6-0 in February, but happily Newton le Willows’ finest – and pop superstar - Rick Astley doesn’t look like he’s going to give up performing any time soon.

Instead, he’s out on the road in 2026 with his new The Reflection Tour, and is heading to Liverpool for one night only.

With more than 40 million records sold worldwide, Astley’s hits — from Never Gonna Give You Up to Together Forever — have entertained generations. His incredible career comeback saw him return to the top of the charts with the 2016 release 50, festival appearances at Glastonbury, collaborations with Foo Fighters and Blossoms, and the release of his Top 10 bestselling autobiography Never.

Expect an unforgettable night of nostalgia, fresh energy, and Astley’s trademark northern humour. Special guest is Gabrielle.

More details and booking HERE

Paul Simon – May 7

Music stars don’t come much bigger than Paul Simon, and Liverpool music fans are being given the chance to experience an unforgettable evening with legendary singer-songwriter in May.

Simon brings his critically acclaimed A Quiet Celebration Tour to M&S Bank Arena Liverpool for one night only.

Following a triumphant, sold-out run across the United States, this intimate concert series features a complete performance of his Grammy-nominated masterwork Seven Psalms—a 33-minute, continuous acoustic suite praised as “a masterful” and “remarkable” achievement. Performed with pristine clarity, the piece invites audiences into a deeply reflective, spiritual sound world crafted for the live stage.

After a brief interval, the evening expands into a career-spanning celebration of Simon’s timeless catalogue. Expect newly reimagined arrangements of beloved classics alongside rare gems performed by an extraordinary ensemble of world-class musicians.

Tickets aren’t cheap. But what you are getting is a rare opportunity to witness one of the greatest songwriters of our time in an intimate, meticulously crafted live setting.

More details and booking HERE

André Rieu – September 12

He’s said the Liverpool audience “is always full of warmth and energy” so the ‘King of Waltz’ André Rieu should enjoy his return to the city this autumn.

The violinist and conductor will take the stage with his Johann Strauss Orchestra, promising an unforgettable evening of musical magic, laughter, romance, and joy as part of a tour of the UK and Ireland.

Audiences can expect a spectacular concert filled with classical favourites, musical surprises and, of course, the waltzes that have made Rieu a household name. From stunning costumes to dazzling stage production, every detail of the show is designed to captivate and inspire.

More details and booking HERE

Squeeze – November 21

Squeeze return to Liverpool in 2026 with the biggest and most ambitious tour of their 50+ year career.

Fresh from announcing their new album Trixies – being released on March 6, 2026 - the iconic song-writing duo Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook bring their Tried, Tested & Trixies Tour to the waterfront arena for a pre-Christmas date.

Expect a night packed with the band’s brilliant catalogue of hits, from Up the Junction and Tempted to Cool for Cats, Another Nail in my Heart and Labelled with Love – alongside new material from Trixies.

Their live shows are described as “pop perfection,” and this tour marks a rare chance to see Squeeze headline major arenas across the UK.

More details and booking HERE

Philharmonic Hall

Lily Allen – March 3

Tickets sold like the proverbial hot cakes when this Hope Street gig went on sale last autumn.

Lily Allen, whose new album West End Girl has received rave reviews, comes to Liverpool as part of a UK tour - her first live dates for seven years.

The show – Lily Allen Performs West End Girl – will see the singer/songwriter play the new album (her fifth studio album and the first since she left Parlophone) in its entirety, in the order the songs appear on the record.

West End girl traces the demise of her marriage and has been described as ‘a gobsmacking autopsy of marital betrayal’.

James Morrison – May 25

James Morrison heads out on tour in 2026 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his smash hit debut album Undiscovered.

Back then, Morrison was fitting carpets by day, playing open mics by night and driving up and down to London at any spare moment to secure a record deal.

Undiscovered spent an entire year in the top 40 album chart and sold more than 1.5 million copies in the UK alone, while its hit singles included the five-times platinum selling You Give Me Something and eight-times gold Wonderful World made him a constant fixture in the charts. He was voted British Male Solo Artist in the 2007 BRIT awards.

The tour will see Morrison play Undiscovered in its entirety with the show rounded off with highlights from the rest of his two-decade career.

More details and tickets HERE

Beverley Knight – June 14

The Queen of British Soul comes to the Philharmonic Hall as part of a huge UK headline tour for June 2026.

Knight will perform her biggest hits as well as favourites from musical theatre and cherished songs which have inspired her journey alongside her legendary live band and will share stories from her life on stage.

Her outstanding live performances have gained her a legion of famous fans over the years from David Bowie to Stevie Wonder, she has collaborated on stage and on record with the likes of Prince, Jamiroquai, Bocelli, Take That, Joss Stone and Marvin Gaye. 

More details and tickets HERE

Deaf School – July 24

Pioneering Liverpool theatrical art-rock band Deaf School make a triumphant return to the Philharmonic Hall – 50 years after the band’s appeared on the Phil’s stage.

It was on July 3, 1976 – during the summer when Britain baked - that Deaf School played its one and only show (until now) at the Hope Street venue, ahead of the release of the group’s debut album 2^nd Honeymoon.

While punk soon changed the music landscape, 2^nd Honeymoon's art-rock style with its roots in cabaret still resonates to this day, and the band went on to be an important influence on many British musicians including Madness and Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Holly Johnson.

Deaf School fans will be able to enjoy the performing that classic first album and more, with film and visuals from a key moment in Liverpool’s musical history…and everything that followed.

More details and tickets HERE

Michael Ball – September 2

Michael Ball comes to the Philharmonic Hall in September in support of Glow, his new solo album of original material which is due for release in early 2026.

Britain’s leading musical theatre star, Ball is a double Olivier Award-winning, Grammy nominated, multi-platinum recording artist and a hugely popular radio and TV presenter.

For more than 40 years he has been at the top of his game, starring in musical theatre productions in the West End and on Broadway, winning critical acclaim, a devoted following and awards for his stage work and recording career.

He regularly tours the UK and abroad as a concert artist and has sold millions of albums over the last 40 years. Meanwhile in 2007, he made his BBC Proms debut: An Evening with Michael Ball at the Royal Albert Hall which marked the first time a musical theatre star had been given a solo concert at the Proms.

More details and tickets HERE

David Essex – September 19

He first shot to fame when he was chosen for the role of Jesus for the London production of Godspell.

Since then, David Essex has enjoyed a remarkable career, writing and producing albums that have sold millions of copies worldwide.

He’s had 23 Top 30 singles in Britain alone including the Grammy nominated Rock On which not only topped the charts in Britain and the USA but sold more than one million copies. Subsequent singles followed such as Lamplight, Hold Me Close and Gonna Make You A Star which made Essex a household name.  

More details and tickets HERE

The Real Thing – October 30

Celebrating 50 years since their massive number one hit You to me Are Everything, Liverpool’s The Real Thing take over the Hope Street stage for one night only in October.

Original vocalists Chris Amoo and Dave Smith are set to tour with their first new album of original material in 44 years, A Brand New Day.

The Real Thing enjoyed success in both the 1970s and 1980s with three Top 10 singles. Including Can’t Get By Without You and Can You Feel The Force, and are still featured daily on all the major UK radio stations.

They also had a hit movie Everything which played nationally in cinemas and was also aired on TV. This was followed by their Greatest Hits album which made the official National Album Charts and reached number two in the Amazon download charts.

More details and tickets HERE

Liverpool Olympia

Robbie Williams – February 6

If you haven’t got a ticket, it’s too late – because Robbie Williams has already sold out his Liverpool Olympia gig.

For those who HAVE got a ticket for the city date of Williams’ Long 90s tour, you can expect an evening of top tunes as the superstar singer-songwriter performs his seminal 1997 solo album Life Thru a Lens and his new album Britpop in full.

Life Thru a Lens included the anthemic Angels along with other chart hits like Let Me Entertain You and Old Before I Die.

Meanwhile Britpop is due for release on February 6 itself.

The Fratellis – February 12

In the autumn of 2006, Scottish indie-rockers The Fratellis burst onto the scene with their blistering debut album, Costello Music.

Filled with catchy riffs and brash vocals, the record featured some of the band’s most enduring tracks, including Henrietta, Whistle for the Choir and Chelsea Dagger.

Twenty years on, the band now have six full-length studio records to their name, with the latest, Drunk Under a Full Moon, arriving in 2021.

Now, The Fratellis are celebrating the album that kickstarted it all as they prepare to bring Costello Music to Liverpool Olympia.

More details and booking HERE

02 Academy/Mountford Hall

Ocean Colour Scene – January 9

Another band and another major anniversary – 2026 is 30 years since Ocean Colour Scene released the album Moseley Shoals.

Ahead of a major autumn 2026 tour, they are set to play a date at Liverpool’s 02 Academy to kick off the year of live music in the city in style.

Ocean Colour Scene’s second album was released in April 1996 during the height of Britpop, and includes classics tracks like The Riverboat Song, The Circle and The Day we Caught the Train.

More details and booking HERE

Suede – February 6

Fellow 90s band Suede are also out on the road at the start of 2026 in support of their new album – their 10^th studio release – Antidepressants.

But if you haven’t already got a ticket salted away, it’s too late because the gig at Mountford Hall (Liverpool Guild of Students) on February 6 is a sellout.

Suede were formed in London in 1989 and were at the very heart of the flourishing of British music in the 1990s, although lead singer Brett Anderson was keen to distance them from the perceived laddishness of ‘Britpop’. Their seminal album remains the 1994 release Dog Man Star.

According to lead singer Brett Anderson, Antidepressants is “a post-punk record” about the tensions of modern life and is “broken music for broken people.”