When I first moved to Liverpool around 5 years ago, I was amazing by the thriving night life and music scene. The Northern cities really are the best, and Liverpool is one of my favourite UK cities for a night out! The great thing about Liverpool is that you can go out on your own and still meet people and have fun, because it’s such a friendly city. People will chat to you in the bars and clubs and there are so many amazing things to do in Liverpool at night. You will have a blast! We will start, of course with the famous Matthew Street, home to the Cavern Club where the Beatles started out, but there’s oh so much more to enjoy!
Disclosure: templeseeker.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.co.uk, Get your Guide and other affiliated sites. Affiliate links may be used in this article on ‘The best things to do in Liverpool at night’, but they do not impact on the price that you pay and they do help me to get this information to you for free.
The Best things to do in Liverpool at Night
Here’s a short summary of the best things to do in Liverpool at night…
- Matthew Street and the Cavern Club
- Lark Lane bars and Restaurants
- Alcatraz cocktails in prison!
- Empire Theatre
- Arcains Retro Games Arcade
- Yellow Submarine Bar
- River Mersey evening cruise
- Smithdown 10 pub crawl
- Watch a gig at the Arts Club or O2 Academy
- The Philharmonic
- Bar Four – The Hard Days Night Hotel for a Beatles Cocktail
- Renshaw St Market
- Bongos Bingo
- Albert docks
- Clubs on the Ropewalks
- Panoramic 34
- Heebie Jeebies
- Golf Fang (formerly Ghetto Golf)
- Hummingbird cocktails
Matthew Street and the Cavern Club
Matthew Street is one of the liveliest streets in Liverpool, and it’s not just enjoyed at night either, many people come here to start drinking during the day! Walking through the Cavern quarter, you will spot the Cilla Statue (a famous Liverpool showbiz personality) and the celebrity wall. You must make sure that you go to the Cavern club, where the Beatles originally played (get there early). Don’t get the Cavern club mixed up with the ‘Cavern Pub’ – the pub is not the original one! The bars on Matthew Street are heaving day and night
Lark Lane Bars and Restaurants
Lark lane is a gorgeous street in south Liverpool (L17) full of bars, restaurants and independent and vintage shops. You probably need to just pin a taxi from the city centre to Lark Lane, but Uber works well in Liverpool. It really comes to life on a Saturday night and when you eat out on Lark Lane you almost feel like you have the choice of anywhere in world! I love having a drink in Kieth’s wine bar. Some of my favourite restaurants in Lark Lane include Yum Cha (the Dim Sum bar that has traffic lights Dim Sum) and La Parilla Mexican.
Photography copyright: All the images in this blog are original photography by Amy Green and are property of @templeseeker (unless otherwise stated). Please do not use these without permission or without giving credit. If you would like to use any of these images please email: amy@templeseeker.com for permission.
Alcatraz cocktails in prison
Fancy being a prisoner for a night and smuggling your alcohol past the prison guards? Yes, you can do this in Liverpool! You even get to wear an orange boiler suit and get your photograph behind bars! This fully immersive experience can be booked here on Get Your Guide.
Empire Theatre
The Empire Theatre is located very close to Liverpool Lime St station and hosts musicals and plays all year round. Some of my favourite productions that I have seen at the Empire include ‘Wicked’, ‘Book of Mormon’ and ‘The curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time’.
Arcains Gaming Reloaded
Arcains Gaming Reloaded is a Retro Games Arcade in the Cairns Brewery (Baltic Triangle) that spreads across four floors. Once you get in you can play unlimited retro games for free! Tickets can be booked in advance for £20 per adult and £25 including level 4 (interactive arcade games such as guitar hero). Some games are extra cost such as air hockey. You can spend as long as you like playing – I found some great classics like Pacman and Operation Wolf.
Yellow Submarine Bar
Now, for one of the newest things to do in Liverpool at night – the yellow submarine bar in the Baltic Quarter. Going into this bar is literally like boarding the yellow submarine! To find out more you can follow @theyellowsubbar on Instagram.
River Mersey evening Boat Cruise
If you want a more relaxing evening rather than hitting the bars and clubs, how about choosing an evening cruise on the river Mersey? Most of the cruises have live music on board and a bar with alcoholic drinks, although often your alcohol isn’t included in your cruise ticket, so you need to be prepared to buy your own drinks on board. You get gorgeous views of the UNESCO waterfront building all lit up including the Portsmouth building and the Liver Building. But, be prepared to here that famous song ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey’ at least once! You can book your ticket for the River Mersey evening cruise online here.
Smithdown 10
If you want to experience student life in Liverpool then don’t miss the Smithdown 10. It’s a bar crawl all down Smithdown road in Wavertree, a popular student area in south Liverpool. The pubs that are included in the ‘Smithdown 10’ vary from time to time as over the years old pubs have closed and new ones have opened, so the Smithdown 10 is ever evolving. You can read about the original Smithdown 10 here. Good classic ones to include are the Willowbank Tavern, Kellys and The Brookhouse. If you want to incorporate a few newer bars into your Smithdown Road pub crawl then the Black Cat and the Handyman Bar are great watering holes.
Watch a gig at the Arts Club or the O2
Live music is a crucial part to visiting Liverpool, and there are some fantastic live music venues. Some of my favourites are the Arts Bar on Seal Street where I saw ‘Cast’ and the O2 Academy (behind Lime Street station) where I saw Gomez. Another great venue, although a bit studenty, is the Liverpool University Mountford Hall. Liverpool attracts amazing bands from all over the world, so it is essential that you book a great gig when you visit!
The Philharmonic
The philharmonic in the knowledge quarter is a great place to see great bands and orchestras. We’ve seen Belle and Sebastian there and also Jurassic Park with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. See what’s on at the Philharmonic here. If you fancy a drink before or after the show then I’d recommend The Philharmonic Dining Rooms also on Hope Street for a traditional pub experience.
Bar Four – The Hard Days Night Hotel for a Beatles Cocktail
If you’re a Beatles fan then don’t miss the Beatles hotel bar. You don’t need to be staying at the Beatles hotel to enjoy the bar or restaurant. They have named the cocktails Beatles themed – why not enjoy a Strawberry fields? There are specials on during weekdays when you can get 2 for 1 on the cocktails.
Renshaw St Food Market
For a great vibe and massive selection of international food head to the Renshaw St Food Market. It’s a selection of street food stalls from round the world, including Thailand, Turkey, Japan and China. I highly recommend the Mong Kok Dim Sum and PadThai Thai Street Food. Find out more here.
Bongo’s Bingo
Bongos Bingo started in Liverpool and was so popular that it started to spread to other parts of the country. It’s hard to describe what Bongos Bingo is without showing you in person! It’s essentially bingo with crazy dance offs and audience participation. Win crazy prizes such as blow up unicorns and Henry Hoovers! This is a unique night that you will never forget! Find out more here.
Albert Docks
The Albert docks has great nightlife but a different vibe to Matthew street and seal street. It’s a lot more ‘dancy and fancy’. Expect drinks prices to be slightly higher and music to be more pop than punk! But it’s a great place to experience as many local celebrities go out on the docks including artists, musicians and stars from Hollyoaks, of course! Good bars on the Albert Docks are The One O’Clock Gun, The Botanist, Revolution and the Long Shot Bar. There are also Escape Rooms on the docks if that’s your thing. If you want a bite to eat beforehand, I highly recommend Madre….
Clubs on the Ropewalks
Go for some classic rock and roll at ‘Teddy’s’, cheesy tunes at Popworld or late night luxury at Pure. Yes, the Ropewalks caters for all tastes and you can expect opening until the early hours. One of my favourite streets in Liverpool is Bold streets, which is brimming with independent shops, eateries and bars. The best parts of the Ropewalks to go out drinking are Fleet Street, Slater Street and of course Concert Square.
Panoramic 34
if you want a fancy night out then you need to book in for a meal and cocktails at Panoramic 34. Book one of the VIP tables for a fantastic view of the city. They do a set menu which is great value. I had a three course meal with a chicken liver pate starter, lamb shank and a cheesecake desert with cocktail for around £60. The food is beautifully presented and even the flowers are edible!
Heebie Jeebies
Heebie Jeebies is my favourite club in Liverpool! I’ve literally never had a bad night there! The music is a mix of pop-rock classics (Beatles and Rolling Stones) and rock or indie. Each night usually has a slightly different genre and theme, so check it out online. My favourite is the ‘Common People’ Indie night every Saturday! You don’t need to book tickets in advance, just rock up early (ish) around 11pm and pay on the door. It’s a smart casual dress code.
Golf Fang (formerly Ghetto Golf)
Golf Fang is a great place to celebrate birthdays and hen or stag does – it’s a fun activity in a whacky setting and with beer available so you can’t go wrong! Book for your team in advance. You will need to arrive a little early to grab your drinks, putters and golf balls. Then you work your way through an indoor crazy golf with themed putting greens such as the school, the bathroom and even one with sex toys!!! Prices start from £20 per person and you can book online here.
Hummingbird Cocktail bar
For a relaxing cocktail head to the Hummingbird on North John Street. It has gorgeous tropical Art Deco interior decor and classy cocktails. Expect to pay around £9.50 per cocktail.
Further Reading on Liverpool
if you are spending time in Liverpool then you might also be interested in these articles….
- How to spend a day in Liverpool
- Best things to do in Liverpool
- Christmas in Liverpool
- Top Luxury hotels in Liverpool city centre