LAAF 2026 proves home is where the art is

Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) returns to city venues this July – and the first events have now been announced.

This year’s festival takes place between July 17-26 and will include a varied programme including performances, talks, workshops and family-friendly activities across art forms such as theatre, music, the visual arts and film.

The 2026 theme is Home.

LAAF chairman Afrah Qassim says: “Home is a place we often imagine as a sanctuary of safety, stability and identity or where we belong. It is our roots, our memories, and the stories we carry with us wherever we go.

“Today, we must also recognise the painful reality facing many in our beloved homelands, those who have lost their homes, their families, and the sense of identity that a place can hold.

“LAAF is proud to be a platform that gives artists the space to tell their stories. Through art and storytelling, we create a space for our audience for reflection and conversation exploring the ‘what; behind the artist’s story and how it reflects upon their own.”

The festival will present the world premiere performance of the hugely anticipated second album from the UK’s Tamsin Elliott and Egypt’s Tarek Elazhary at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall’s Music Room on Friday, 24 July.

Elliott and Elazhary (pictured, top) explore the intriguing parallels and idiosyncrasies of Egyptian Maqam and English folk traditions in a captivating fusion of songs, tunes and textures.

Meanwhile the ever-popular annual LAAF Family Day returns to Sefton Park Palm House on Sunday, July 26.

A free afternoon of music, performance and authentic Arab culture will be complemented by a range of stalls offering Arabic and Middle Eastern food, arts and crafts, traditional practices such as calligraphy and dance, as well as activities for children, including storytelling and workshops.

Founded in 1998, LAAF is the UK’s longest running festival of Arab arts and culture and exists to support and champion creatives from across the Arab region and its diaspora, in the belief that ‘art and creativity have the power to express a shared humanity’.

Liverpool Arab Arts Festival runs from July 17-26. More details HERE