October’s shaping up to be pretty exciting in Liverpool, with new bars opening, Oktoberfest parties and many more amazing things to do in Liverpool. This city always keeps us on our toes and we love it!
1. Visit Tonight Josephine
Tonight Josephine is an unapologetically pink, and super-vibrant bar famed for its boozy bottomless brunches and on October 21 their biggest location ever opens right here in Liverpool! The huge location on Hanover Street will serve the most decadent cocktails in the sparkliest of settings and you can read more about it here.
2. Candlelight Halloween
The spooky season is upon us and if you’re wondering how to celebrate we have the perfect events for you. On Saturday, October 29 St. George’s Hall will be illuminated by hundreds of candles and decked out in Halloween decor for a night of Classical Compositions played by the talented Matt Glossop on violin and Tim Abel on piano.
The compositions played will include the Ghostbusters theme, ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ from Harry Potter and ‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked. You can book tickets here.
Then, on October 31, Halloween itself, there will be another Candlelit concert. This time, String Infusion will play Halloween film scores like the theme tunes from Beetlejuice, Stranger Things and Corpse Bride. Grab tickets for the concert here.
3. Spoken Word And Storytelling at Capstone Theatre
If you’re looking for some culture this October then check out what’s going on at the Capstone Theatre. There will be two performances running that mix music, spoken word and storytelling to bring a different kind of experience to audiences.
On October 28 you can watch and listen to a performance of Dracula, using only the voice of John Iles from the Bill and music from low clarinet player Sarah Watts. There’s plenty going on at Capstone Theatre this October, including a play about the Windrush Scandal and another about white women who married men from the Windrush generation who arrived to the UK from the Caribbean.
4. Oktoberfest Party
On October 14 & 15 Bierkeller Liverpool will be hosting a massive Oktoberfest celebration, complete with authentic Bavarian fare such as pretzels, wursts, hog rolls and schnitzel. You can wash it all down with some delicious German beer and dance to the oompah band’s music, too.
There are vegan and vegetarian options available so don’t worry if you’re not a meat eater, and it’s definitely encouraged that you turn up wearing a dirndl or lederhosen. You can book tickets for this incredible event here.
5. Made of Stars
Between October 11-20 you can experience a groundbreaking immersive exhibition created by artists from across the world who came to Liverpool as a place of refuge. It’s completely free and you should make sure not to miss the 30 ft pyramid in the centre, which highlights the truly collaborative nature of the exhibition.
In total, 14 refugee artists have contributed to the immersive experience and it aims to draw attention to the fact that we are all made of the same things, we just have different experiences. You can see it at the The Black-E on Great George Street but you’ll need to book a free ticket first.
6. Halloween Film Night At The Museum
Watch cult ’80s classic The Last Boys surrounded by music memorabilia on October 27 as the British Music Experience hosts a Halloween Film Night. Could they have chosen a more perfect film? I’ve got Echo & The Bunnymen’s rendition of ‘People Are Strange’ stuck in my head as I type.
Doors open at 6 pm so that you can buy snacks and drinks before the film starts at 8 pm. Tickets are £8 and you can grab yours here!
7. Visit Liverpool’s Smallest Cinema
That’s right, Cafe Tabac movie nights are back! The pandemic closed the place in 2020 because this teeny tiny venue only accommodates 20 guests but they’re opening again and well and truly ready to entertain.
They’re kicking off the autumn season with some incredible cult classics like Withnail and I (my favourite), Trainspotting and The Big Lebowski. Not only is this place super-comfy, you can also enjoy some delicious hot dogs (veggie available) and fries alongside popcorn and big gulp drinks.
In the lead up to Halloween they’re hosting a Scream Fest. On October 24 they’re screening The Shining, then The Thing on October 25 and Evil Dead 2&3 on October 26. On Halloween night they’ll screen The Rocky Horror Picture Show and you should absolutely dress up for it. Best of all, it’s free!
8. Gin & Rum Festival
This is going to be a true festival, with an award-winning DJ, free samples and unlimited mixers, and even a guide to tell you all about what you’re drinking. You get to take your very own festival glass home, too!
You can buy either day tickets from 12.30 pm – 5 pm or evening tickets for 6.30 pm – 11 pm and it will all take place at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, because where better to drink than in a church? You can buy your tickets here.
9. Try the Y2K cocktails at Vodka Revs
Have you tried the Y2K cocktail at Vodka Revolution yet? Well, there’s still time to relive the early 2000s via hilariously themed-cocktails as they’ll be on the menu until October 25!
Head back to the days when flip phones were the equivalent of the iPhone 13 and people wore ties around their skirts as belts, plus those weird, very thin scarves that did nothing to warm your neck. So what can you try as you step back into the childhood of a Millenial?
Well, I certainly wasn’t sipping cocktails in the early 2000s, but if I had been then I’d like to think it would have been the ‘Spice Up Your Life’, with Bacardi Spiced rum, Fiery Chilli Revolution Flavour, Old Jamaica Ginger Beer and lime juice.
If you’re not obsessed with spicy stuff though then you might like to try the ’99 Problems’, with Ketel One vodka, Mr Whippy Revolution flavour, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and squirty cream. There are five to try overall so get sipping!
10. Events to mark Black History Month
It’s Black History Month! There are tons of events going on across Liverpool to mark the month, including a whole host of exhibitions and even life drawing classes, arranged by National Museums Liverpool.
You can check out the full schedule of events running here but there are a few standouts. For example, on October 14 at the Walker Art Gallery, taking inspiration from he 18th Century room’s collection, people can partake in life drawing sessions.
These sessions will have models who represent our society. Real people’s real bodies will be painted to show the strength and power of those in society who have not historically been allowed to be powerful – black women.
There’s also an exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool, dedicated to inspirational black Scousers, and at the International Slavery Museum you can learn about the incredible Frederick Douglass who escaped slavery in the US only to write one of the most phenomenal diaries of all time. Actually, that doesn’t describe even a tiny part of his existence, so go to the exhibition please and there you’ll find a pretty comprehensive look into his life.