Liverpool’s ever popular grass roots urban music festival, Smithdown Festival weekender, returns for its 11th year from Friday 1st to Monday 4th May 2026. And once again, as always, everything is FREE.
Taking place along the city’s fabled southern artery Smithdown Road, the extravaganza has traditionally focused on the famous road’s many diverse venues and establishments, taking in pubs, cafes, restaurants, book shops, record shops, churches and community halls, as well as occasionally in the nearby green spaces of Wavertree Playground and Sefton Park Cricket Club.
Over the last few years a joint venture hosted by organisers based at the Black Cat (nee Craft Taproom) and Handymans bar venues, it has seen an eclectic programme taking in all genres of music from both emerging new bands and more than a few well-established names too, as well as hosting book readings, poetry slams, open mic nights, quizzes, children’s activities and street art among other events.
This year’s line up has been announced** (see below) taking in the principal venues: the Black Cat, Handymans, Beeswing, Luminous, and The Gregson Institute (with further venues to be confirmed nearer the time) and as with all previous weekenders, all donations are welcome, which go as ever towards the Whitechapel Centre – the leading homeless charity based in Liverpool.
As usual, this upcoming May Day Bank Holiday is always an extremely busy date on the festival calendar for the city of Liverpool, given that it also coincides with the equally long established Sound City 2026 weekend which takes place on the Saturday 2nd to Sunday 3rd of May.
** suggested picks of the weekend are annual regulars, explosive garage rock renegades Dead Raze, the perennially entertaining ‘Kitchencore’ DIY punk reprobates Pete Bentham and the Dinner Ladies as well as the coolly laid back Americana liltings of Motel Sundown, not forgetting Saturday’s headliners, the uniquely genre-shredding Psycho Comedy.
More details for Smithdown Festival 2026 will be posted in due course on their social media pages Facebook | Instagram
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