The UK’s longest-running festival dedicated to Arab arts and culture is back in Liverpool this summer.
Liverpool Arab Arts Festival will return for its 24th edition from 17 to 26 July 2026, bringing a programme of music, film, literature and live performance to venues across the city. As the UK’s longest-running annual festival dedicated to Arab arts and culture, the event continues to provide an important platform for artists from across the Arab world and its diaspora.
Founded in 1998, the festival has grown into a key fixture on the UK’s cultural calendar, offering audiences the chance to engage with a wide range of contemporary and traditional creative expressions. This year, the theme is “Home”, a timely and deeply resonant focus that reflects the shifting meanings of belonging, identity and place in a world shaped by movement, memory and displacement.
Through its 2026 programme, Liverpool Arab Arts Festival will invite visitors to consider how home is tied to geography, community, heritage, and lived experience. The theme also opens up broader conversations about collective memory and the emotional weight of migration, while highlighting how artists continue to explore these ideas through their work.
Among the first events to be announced is the world premiere of the second album by UK artist Tamsin Elliott and Egyptian musician Tarek Elazhary. Set to take place on 24 July 2026 at the Philharmonic Music Room, the performance will blend Egyptian maqam melodies with English folk influences, creating a cross-cultural collaboration that reflects the wider spirit of the festival. Their debut album, So Far We Have Come, was named one of The Guardian’s Top 10 Folk Albums of 2023 and also earned a nomination for Best Group at the Songlines Music Awards.
At its heart, the festival aims to encourage meaningful exchange and cross-cultural connection through authentic artistic collaboration. It remains a vital space for storytelling, dialogue and creativity, while also championing Arab voices in Britain’s wider arts landscape.
The festival will close on 26 July with a free Family Day at Sefton Park’s Palm House. Expect live performances, workshops and food stalls in a welcoming setting designed for all ages.
Liverpool Arab Arts Festival runs from 17 to 26 July 2026 at various locations across Liverpool. For more information, visit the festival’s official website.
Where: Various locations across Liverpool
When: 17 to 26 July 2026.
Contact: www.arabartsfestival.com