It almost goes without saying that Liverpool is the place to be when it comes to fun alternative events to enjoy, but we’ll say it anyway, for the people in the back.

Famous for its vibrant music scene and unmeasurable contribution to the arts, you better believe that if you’re wanting for something to do around the city in July, you’re going to be spoilt for choice.

Let’s face it: we all deserve to let loose a bit after the year we’ve had, so we’ve collected information on all the most exciting events going on in Liverpool this month.

Arab Arts Festival

Although the Arab Arts Festival has events going nearly all year round that celebrate everything from film to women in Arab culture, July is set to hold many events. Friday 16th, for example, is the date on which the podcast What Happened in Baghdad begins, which features female creatives and prominent figures discussing their time creating art in the Middle East.

It’s set to be a truly eye opening experience, with stories from people under immense pressure allowing us to learn about a completely alien world. What’s more, is that it’s online, so you don’t even have to leave your hotel room to tune in.

What’s more is that one-off tickets to these events are incredibly cheap, making seeing some of these talks, films or events absolutely worth your time.

Frankie Say 1984!

Straight out of Liverpool, anyone old enough to remember how Frankie Goes to Hollywood just completely took over the music scene will definitely appreciate this next event going on in July.

Frankie Say 1984 is a celebration of the scouse titans that dominated British pop-rock in the 80s, with a unique art exhibition featuring: stage outfits, instruments, memorabilia and a collection of retro merch straight out of an album cover.

The exhibition runs for the best part of the year, concluding in January 2022, but with it being held at the Cunard Building right on the docks, July seems like the perfect time to go on a nice summer stroll, slip into this events, and just RELAX (thank you, thank you).

Rollerdrome

Half-roller derby, half-disco – you could make the argument that while the Invisible Wind Factory’s new idea is just about for everyone, even if you haven’t skated since you were a child.

The team have said their goal is to combine sport and wellbeing with amazing audio and visual production, and the result of that is a rollerskating session complete with some crazy tunes, mirrored geometry, laser grids and a giant floating spaceship.

You’ll be able to hire skating gear there, we understand, and the venue sits just on Regent Road – a short walk from the city centre. It’s definitely going to be something that’s a little out of most people’s comfort zone, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. It’s all about fun, adventure, and keeping fit – and not being abducted by the spaceship, obviously.

Pride Indoor Festival

Nothing quite symbolises courage in the face of great adversity more than Pride does (at least for us), so it was a big deal this year when events across the UK didn’t quite go ahead as usual.

Pride is normally a celebration of acceptance and individuality, with participants swanning to the city centres to enjoy a day-long celebration of LGBT+ culture, with dancing, drinking and a whole host of eclectic food choices.

This is the resurrection of the festival. Taking place on July 31st at indoor venues across Liverpool, with venues opening their doors to the populace to continue this celebration. Line ups haven’t been announced at the time of writing, but no matter who is officially announced, this is set to be a massive party you definitely shouldn’t miss out on.

Brazilica

If you’re not sure what the Brazilica Festival is, you could probably guess. This is Britain’s only samba carnival, straight from the shores of Ipanema right to Liverpool city centre for us to enjoy.

It’s a raucous party that takes place between July 10 and July 11 at venues all across the city, with dancing, food, drink and culminates in a massive main stage performance at the end of the day.

Trust us when we say “all over the city”, we really mean “all over”. If you’ve never seen images of the Rio carnival, it’s safe to say that the participants and guests will be doing absolutely everything in their power to recreate that sense of community joy – probably by flooding into the streets. It’s noisy, but worth it.

Cathedral Peace Doves – Quiet Hour

Throughout the summer Liverpool Cathedral is holding an exhibition named Peace Doves, that attempts to combine modern artistic renditions with the tranquility that comes with standing in Britain’s biggest cathedral.

There are many opportunities for the general public to go and see this installation, but on July 2, the cathedral is holding a quieter, more personal exhibition where ticket holders may view the art in peace and quiet.

The doves have been crafted from individual sheets of paper and each feature a dream or hope written on them, a symbol of the artist’s message. All in all, it sounds like a great opportunity for members of the public to have an intimate moment in one of the most impressive buildings in the country.

Liverpool Anime & Gaming Con

An absolutely mammoth celebration of everything cosplay and geek culture, the Liverpool Anime & Gaming Convention 2021 is set to be a great release for gamers who are just sick of being cooped up inside.

It’s been far too long since we saw these scarily accurate cosplays being flaunted on social media, so we’re expecting some of the very best this year. July 17 is the date, and it’s taking place at the Adelphi Hotel right by Lime Street, making it easily accessible to anyone anywhere near the city centre.

There’ll be: board games, static games consoles to have a whirl on, trading cards, retro merch on offer and even stage events featuring tunes and games for everyone to join in with. There’ll even be a themed quiz with a cash prize, so if you think you know everything there is to know about anime and gaming, this is where you earn all your money back.