Where to enjoy open-air theatre in Liverpool City Region this summer

Dust off the picnic chairs and rugs, locate the cool box, pop a bottle of something fizzy in the fridge and your sunscreen in your bag because the 2026 open-air theatre season is upon us.

Travelling theatre troupes and wandering minstrels are going back on the road to bring productions to outdoor spaces across the region and beyond over the next few months, with plenty of variety and choice to appeal to everyone.

This summer Liverpool and the wider City Region is welcoming a host of popular returning theatrical troupes including the Pantaloons, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Illyria, The Handlebards and Folksy Theatre.

From the grounds of historic houses to purpose-built outdoor theatre spaces and grassy dells to woodland settings, performance takes to the open air.

And while the Hillbark Players are having a summer off, when it comes to ‘homegrown’ productions Wirral’s Off the Ground Theatre is planning to tour to multiple venues in July with a new production of The Tempest.

Here’s a rundown of what you can see where in Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, Wirral and further afield over summer 2026.

Speke Hall

Theatre returns to the historic National Trust property’s North Lawn this summer.

On June 19, Three Inch Fools present King Arthur and the Holy Fail - an epic tale set in a land of daring quests, dashing knights and endless jousting.

When Camelot is rocked to its core by a tragic - and frankly improbable - incident involving a large table of an undisclosed shape, Arthur is thrust into the quest of a lifetime. Will he bravely battle through blistering cold and scorching fire to save his beloved realm, or will he crumble as fate refuses to cooperate?

Then on July 1 the critically acclaimed Pantaloons Theatre Company take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth in Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles.

Will detective duo Holmes and Watson discover the deadly secret of the Baskerville family curse before it strikes again? Or are they barking up the wrong tree?

The show features live music, audience interaction and more mystery than you can shake a magnifying glass at.

Pantaloons return on July 17 with the hugely ambitious The (Almost) Complete History of Britain.

Join the fun on a breathless race through the centuries in a delightfully inventive show that tells the entire story of Britain in under two hours. The Pantaloons will retell great moments from the country's past in a variety of surprising genres and with live music, audience interaction and wild historical inaccuracy.

And finally, on August 16 those crazy folk from the Pantaloons are back again with Twelfth Night.

Get in a fight. Cross-dress. Throw on some yellow stockings. Love can make you do the funniest things… The company presents its own brand of Shakespearean mayhem in the Bard's comedy of fools, duels and dual identities. Family-friendly fun with live music and audience participation.

More details and booking HERE

Garden Theatre at Calderstones

It’s all for one and one for all on August 6 when The Three Musketeers swash and buckle their way on to the stage at Calderstones’ Garden Theatre.

Performed by Illyria, follow Young D’Artagnan who is desperate to join Athos, Porthos and Aramis as an elite Musketeer of the King’s Guard. But are his swashbuckling credentials sufficient? Find out as the fearless four survive the schemes of Cardinal Richelieu and cross swords with the deadly Milady de Winter.

Meanwhile intrepid cycling troupe The Handlebards pedal into the park on August 23 to present a hilariously high-octane production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth like you’ve never seen before. Forget the tears and tragedy, this Macbeth is chock full of mishaps, mayhem and mirth. 

We all know the story. Mysterious spirits appear, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plot to kill the king, and things get rapidly out of hand from there...

More details and booking HERE

Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden, Shakespeare North Playhouse at Prescot

There’s another busy summer programme planned at the Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden in Prescot.

The season kicks off on June 17-18 with The Comedy of Errors performed by The Festival Players whose all-male cast brings farce, fast paced storytelling and original music to William Shakespeare’s early play The Comedy of Errors.

On June 26-27 enjoy Oddsocks’ new take on the perennially popular tragedy Romeo and Juliet. A family feud divides the community! Violence stalks the streets. Who can see beyond the hate and dare to follow their heart? A pair of star-crossed lovers.

Then on July 16-18 there is a new, 70-minute outdoor version of Hamlet - Shakespeare’s masterpiece of revenge, betrayal, and ambition – presented by the multi award winning A Place for Us Theatre Company.

The high-energy performance promises to capture all the drama, emotion and language of the original play, just in a whip quick running time.

For something a bit different, join The Fabularium on July 22 as they tell the tale of Reynard the Fox, the woodland’s most infamous scoundrel who plays one too many tricks and finds himself answering to the King.

Reynard the Fox is an engaging theatre show for family audiences of all ages, using The Fabularium’s unique aesthetic, strong imagery and all performed on the company’s traditional wooden cart, featuring storytelling, puppetry, original live music and bespoke animal headpieces.

All the world’s a stage. And pedalling from venue to venue with all of their set, props and costumes on the back of their bikes, the HandleBards arrive on July 24 with a fantastically funny bicycle-powered production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It.  

Meanwhile there’s a double bill of delights from Shake-Scene on August 6-8 as the company presents both Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing in a ‘summer of love’ at Prospero Place.

The cast prepare from their own lines and cues only – not the whole play

Book your place in the Garden for a wild rollercoaster ride through love and relationships – there’s plots, there’s joy, there’s misunderstandings galore…

The Pantaloons visit on August 14-15 with the crazy The (Almost) Complete History of Britain.

And on August 27, Folksy Theatre presents Shakespeare’s much-loved A Midsummer Night’s Dream, complete with live music, audience interaction and impressive multi-rolling.

More details and booking HERE

Knowsley Hall

The acclaimed Lord Chamberlain’s Men make their annual visit to Knowsley Hall on July 8 – and this year they bring their new touring production of Othello.

Prepare to be transported into a world of jealousy, betrayal and manipulation in an unforgettable setting, with an all-male cast and Elizabethan costumes, music and dance. 

This year’s production marks the 10-year anniversary of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men performing at Knowsley Hall.

More details and booking HERE

Crosby Hall

Travel into the Forest of Arden at Crosby Hall this July 18 when Illyria presents Shakespeare’s As You Like It.

Four pairs of soulmates meet in the forest. One pair leap straight into bed. Another are instantly struck by each other’s beauty. The third torment each other. But the fourth enjoy a courtship that is so witty and playful that love itself is stretched to the limit.

More details and booking HERE

Claremont Farm, Bebington

Outdoor Theatre Productions brings Pinocchio to Claremont Farm on Sunday, May 31.

A wooden puppet runs away, hoping to find fun and adventure, but instead finds demanding bosses, con-artists and peer-pressure.

Bombarded by money, games and other attention-grabbing attractions, how can Pinocchio ever become a real boy when even lies told to cover up awkward truths are as plain as the nose on his face?

Then on June 24, Illyria rides into Bebington with The Three Musketeers.

Young D’Artagnan is desperate to join Athos, Porthos and Aramis as an elite Musketeer of the King’s Guard. But are his swashbuckling credentials sufficient? Find out as the fearless four survive the schemes of Cardinal Richelieu and cross swords with the deadly Milady de Winter.

And Illyria returns on August 5 with As You Like It, Shakespeare’s tale of love, disguise and the seven ages of man.

More details and booking HERE

The Dell at Port Sunlight

Folksy Theatre makes its annual visit to picturesque Port Sunlight on August 20 and this year it presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream in The Dell.

In the heart of an enchanted forest, four young lovers flee the constraints of society and stumble into a realm ruled by mischievous fairies, feuding royalty, and a troupe of would-be actors with more enthusiasm than talent.

What follows is a wild night of mistaken identities, magical transformations, and love gone deliciously wrong.

More details and booking HERE

A bit further afield…

Norton Priory, Runcorn

Hamlet - Shakespeare’s classic tale of revenge, betrayal, madness, and ambition – is set to be staged in Norton Priory’s Woodland Theatre on June 26-27.

A Place for Us Theatre Company has distilled the Bard’s great tragedy down to a  70-minute, high-energy performance that captures all the drama, emotion and language of the original play.

Under the open sky, audiences will be drawn into Hamlet’s gripping journey and tragic demise as he confronts family betrayal, moral dilemmas, and the weight of destiny.

Then on July 22 award-winning Immersion Theatre Company presents an unforgettable adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.

The powerful story of forbidden love and bitter rivalry is brought to life in a visual spectacle infused with comedy, heartbreak, and danger.

Gilbert and Sullivan’s much-loved satirical operetta The Pirates of Penzance comes to Norton Priory on August 6 courtesy of Ilyria.

Performed by a six-strong cast of actor/singers with fully orchestrated accompaniment, The Pirates of Penzance boasts a host of gloriously memorable songs including To be a Pirate King!, A Modern Major General and A Policeman’s Lot is Not a Happy One.

Illyria returns on August 13 with its touring production of As You Like It.

And then Immersion Theatre brings its trademark energy to a wildly entertaining musical adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling family favourite The Jungle Book on August 17.

Filled with original music, audience interaction, and a host of larger-than-life characters, you are invited to join Mowgli and his friends, Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther, on a madcap jungle adventure as they meet and attempt to outwit a slithering snake, some cheeky monkeys, and the fierce tiger, Shere Khan.

More details and booking HERE

Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Chester

Storyhouse in the Park presents a quartet of shows to appeal to all tastes this summer.

Playwright Kieran Lynn returns to the park after success with Gangs of New York, and this time he has turned his attention to the legend of Robin Hood.

Outlaws – a Robin Hood Story runs from July 3 to August 23 in the theatre-in-the-round.

In medieval Nottingham, the corrupt King John, aided by the Sheriff of Nottingham, takes what he wants while the people suffer. But there is hope. And it wears a hood.

Local lad Robin and his sidekick Little John have become infamous for stealing the King’s ill-gotten gains and returning them to the people who so desperately need them.

When the King visits Nottingham, Robin sees the opportunity for their biggest score yet; and with the help of rebellious noblewoman Marian, they embark on a dangerous and daring heist that will change England, and the world, forever.

It’s the summer of 1969 and in Helen Redcliffe’s Let the Sun Shine! the air is full of music, love and revolution.

The new music-infused show, running from July 10 to August 23, is billed as a joyful, life-affirming story about generations colliding, finding your voice, and daring to imagine a different path. 

This year’s walkabout theatre experience for under 10s and their families is Peter Pan, running from July 28 to August 15.

And Nell Gwynn comes to Grosvenor Park from August 21 to September 6 in a co-production with Shakespeare North Playhouse and Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake.

Packed with mischief, music and plenty of flair, Jessica Swale’s Olivier Award-winning play is a riotous celebration of performance and women who won’t behave.

More details and booking HERE