‘The rest of the festival is very much in full swing’
Smithdown Festival is returning for 2025(Image: Smithdown Festival)
A popular event has been postponed, with organisers saying the circumstances were “way beyond our control”. Smithdown Festival is returning to the city this weekend for its 10th anniversary.
For three days, the multi-venue community event takes over indoor and outdoor spaces throughout Wavertree and surrounding areas. In the past, attendees have enjoyed live music, DJS, art, literature and a whole host of family-friendly programming too.
This year, in line with the early May Bank Holiday weekend, is expected to be no different. However, those who had planned on attending the official afterparty for the Smithdown Festival will have to wait, as it has been postponed.
The warehouse party was due to take place on Saturday, May 3, at the Wellington Yard. DJS G33 and Girls Don’t Sync Hannah Lynch and Amber Rose were lined up to perform, but this will no longer be the case.
A message posted in Smithdown Ticket Exchange, a popular Facebook group among students, from the festival said: “Hi all, just in case any of you were planning to attend the festival warehouse afterparty this Saturday – it has now been postponed due to circumstances way beyond our control.”
People enjoying a drink at the Handyman Bar and Brewery at the Smithdown Weekender 2023(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
The organisers said those who bought a ticket will receive an email from Skiddle offering a full refund. They also confirmed that “the rest of the festival is very much in full swing, though.”
Andy Scott, 43, and Kevin Mcarthur, 44, started the festival back in 2015 with the aim of bringing bars together in the area and celebrating everything Smithdown Road has to offer. The festival has proved successful each and every year, with thousands of people coming to the area annually in May and October, to watch local talent at different stages held at venues along the length of the road.
When the festival first started, Andy was running a bar called Evil Eye on Smithdown Road, while Kevin owned Kelly’s Dispensary. Andy now owns Black Cat bar and bottleshop and Kevin runs the Handyman pub.
Andy Scott, co-owner of Black Cat on Smithdown Road(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Andy previously told the ECHO: “The area was very segregated [in 2015], bars were all doing their own thing. There wasn’t much going on so I met up with Kevin and said ‘why don’t we do a festival to celebrate Smithdown Road?’
“Let’s get artists and DJs and whatever it might be and have a kick arse weekend of live music. The weekend is always free. We didn’t know what to expect that first year.
“Everyone was really excited by it and thousands of people turned up on Smithdown Road that year. It was 2015 and we thought ‘there’s something in this – this is quite special’.”
It is estimated that around 150 musicians will play along the streets all weekend. These include Doc McCloskey at Beeswing, Vesper at Penny Lane Wine Bar, Lily Almond at Handymans, and Ask My Bull at Black Cat. Shiva at Nomad, Addley at Luminous and a Guy called Greg at Leaf found off the 2025 offerings.